It was wishful thinking to hope that Labour Councillors would support the Conservative Motion at the full Council meeting at the end of September, which proposed to stop the cruel cuts in Winter Fuel Payments for vulnerable pensioners whose income sits just above the pension credit limit.
The Conservative motion extended an olive branch to the Labour Group. It did not personally berate Labour for cutting Winter Fuel Payments. Instead, it focused on the problems with the cut, such as the 33,716 residents in Calderdale who are not in receipt of pension credits, and the rural communities and older housing across the area, which make older residents even more vulnerable.
Our Motion called on the Council to write to the Chancellor and local MPs, urging a review of the decision to ensure vulnerable pensioners are protected. This could be achieved by providing the Winter Fuel Payment to pensioner households with annual incomes above the pension credit threshold but up to £18,200, as suggested by Parliament’s Committee on Fuel Poverty (which a former Labour MP Chairs).
This approach made it possible for Labour to support the Motion. Despite unity looking possible, with the Lib Dems also showing support and submitting a small but valuable amendment to provide warm packs of clothes and blankets to vulnerable pensioners, Labour Councillors lacked the courage and heart to support the amended Motion.
Labour then exploited the Council’s Constitutional Rules by submitting an unrelated amendment which focused instead on blaming the Conservatives—yet another example of Labour prioritising their Party’s interests over the interests of local residents.
This tactic was a deliberate attempt to undermine the Council’s democratic process and avoid addressing the pressing needs of Calderdale pensioners. Labour should be ashamed. This was a real opportunity to help vulnerable residents, but instead, Labour decided to play political knockabout with such an important issue.
The local Labour Group is a direct reflection of their national Party. In the first 100 days of the Labour Government their record includes forfeiting sovereign British Territory, the resignation of Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff, the early release of hundreds of dangerous prisoners, a prominent MP leaving Labour due to sleaze in the donations scandal, new plans for further restrictions on people’s lives, new tax increases on the horizon, unnerving international investors, scrapping measures to stop the boats, and cutting Winter Fuel payments.
All this show that Labour misled the electorate about its plans. Now that they are in office, they are one of the most hopeless governments we’ve ever had.
The dangerous policy to cut winter fuel payments without any consideration for the impact it will have on vulnerable pensioners and giving away this money to their union paymasters, is a clear indication that they have all the wrong priorities – this is Robin Hood in reverse!
