Starmer sympathises with pensioners struggling because of winter fuel payment axe
Sir Keir Starmer said he sympathised with those struggling because of the decision to strip the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners but he had a “steely determination” to fix the country’s problems.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that the Government was making “painful” decisions “that aren’t going to be popular”.
But he said the “doom and gloom” of his administration’s early days would eventually lead to a “transformation” in the nation’s fortunes.
“It’s difficult, of course, it’s difficult. I don’t want to do it. I’d much rather we hadn’t found that £22 billion black hole,” he told reporters.
But Sir Keir said he would be “judged when we get to the next election, on whether I delivered against the promises that I made”.
Tough
He acknowledged the process of having to “rebuild the house” after years of Conservative rule was tough.
“I’ve always said this will take time, but I’m absolutely determined to deliver on my commitments.
“I think that one of the reasons people have lost faith or trust in politics as a force for good is because they don’t think politicians have that steely determination to deliver on what they said would they deliver on.
“So all of this is preparatory work, necessary work, to allow us to deliver on our missions.”
He acknowledged that “it’s been cast as doom and gloom” but “it is important to understand that what we’re doing is ensuring we’re in a position to make that transformation, which is a very good news story, that we can deliver on our promises, the country will be materially better off, and people will feel it, both in their pockets, their health, the opportunities for them and their families”.
Millions of pensioners in England and Wales will lose winter fuel payments worth up to £300 because of the Government’s decision to restrict them to households in receipt of pension credit or other benefits.
Sir Keir said: “Of course I’ve got every sympathy with anyone who is struggling with any of their bills.
“I’m not pretending this is an easy decision, it’s a difficult decision.
“But the question we’ve got to answer is how are you going to make up for a £22 billion shortfall this year, which we hadn’t expected to find, and we’ve taken the view that we have to stabilise the economy, we’ve got to deal with it.”
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I wonder what a ‘shrink’ would deduce from that approach to HR….?
It is pathetic, just like wishi washi Rishi…
The bigger fat cats made me do it for the good of King and Country…
I’m a Knight you know…(just like Rod Stewart)…
It is imperative that a FULL independent investigation is carried out as to the truth about the.
” 20 £million black hole” that is mentioned ad nauseum on a daily basis.The constant blaming every action by the Labour Government on this figure needs to be researched.
How can above inflation pay rises without conditions be due to the previous Government?
These are political choices pure and simple.
Thanks for the sympathy. Seems a bit small beside the anguish, poverty and lack of warmth though.
There can be no such thing as a black hole in a country’s finances (provided they have monetary sovereignty, which the UK does). Please tell him (and Reeves) because he clearly doesn’t know.
I am appalled that Der Sturmer would blatantly attempt to deceive us. To me – and I’m not usually a conspiracist – that suggests a hidden agenda.
Answers on a postcard…
He doesnt care at all
Perhaps he should have taxed his super rich college friends who know all the loopholes of tax avoidance and then he can “sympathise” with them instead of vulnerable pensioners.
He displays “steely determination” to protect his rich mates from the cold winds of taxing their wealth on a more equitable basis. Shut loopholes, change laws that enable complex “mitigation” devices and suddenly find that Ruthless Rachel has many more billions to deploy on easing the pain for people who will find life difficult this winter.
There are other and better ways of raising £22 billion than punching down brutally on the aged and infirm. To begin with, how about the government actually collecting all the tax it is due? No sweetheart deals and other dodgy arrangements. But that might annoy members of the Entitled Classes, who are members of the same clubs as people who own or edit newspapers, so it would be altogether too dangerous. This government is very brave when it is hitting the helpless, not-so-very-much in other areas. They are Tories by another name.
We don’t need your sympathy Sir….? We need solutions not platitudes and stop repeating we have no money, you can fool some of the people some of the time etc,etc,etc
With respect, what Lincoln left out of that famous quote is that you CAN fool enough of the people enough of the time. The art of doing so is called “politics”
Just such a course is the tops in our southern universities…
Words of a weasel, tears of a crocodile.
Someone has to pay for the Brexit vanity project.
The £22 billion hole in the economy IS due to the unfunded tax cuts of the last UK Conservative government.
They then called the general election when they knew they would not be around to resolve this debt.
They did it before with Liz Truss and that unfunded tax cutting budget.
It is clear that that unfunded tax cut (again) must be reversed and that will repay the debt.
It is that last UK conservative government you should be making pay the debt – their debt through incompetence.