On Thursday 31st October 2024, Labour delivered their soul-crushing budget and removed Winter Fuel Allowances for the elderly.
Over 100,000 will be pushed into poverty whilst millions more will not be able to heat their homes this winter.
I voted to oppose the Government’s proposal when this matter was debated in Parliament at the start of September. This is a cruel policy that takes from some of those most vulnerable in society.
The Government’s decision is even more galling when you consider that they have given in to their union paymasters with double digit pay rises for elements of the public sector. This tells you everything you need to know about the Government’s priorities as we head into the Autumn and Winter.
I have always believed that our senior citizens deserve to be fully supported by government in their latter years; after all, they have contributed so much to society over their course of their lives. This is why I campaigned to introduce the ‘triple lock plus’ at the recent General Election. This policy would have meant that as the state pension rises, the tax-free personal allowance would rise, resulting in any subsequent increases being free of income tax.
The last Conservative Government didn’t always get everything right, but they did lift over 200,000 pensioners out of absolute poverty between 2010 and 2023.
My real concern now is that other aspects of support such as the single person council tax discount, free bus passes, and free prescription charges may all now be on the chopping block by an ‘out of touch’ Chancellor of the Exchequer.
I pledge to continue to defend the interests of pensioners as your constituency MP.
