Crewe & Nantwich Labour MP Connor Naismith has defended his decision to vote in favour of cutting the winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
The controversial move was voted through by majority in Parliament yesterday, despite fierce criticism from many groups.
It will mean around 10 million pensioners no longer receiving at least £200 payment to help with energy bills in winter.
Mr Naismith said today: “This was a really tough decision.
“I wasn’t elected to Parliament to vote for cuts to Winter Fuel Allowance, and it’s not a choice I wanted or expected to make.
“The previous government left difficult decisions in their inbox and wrecked our economy, leaving a £22bn black hole in public spending.
“I won’t lie to Crewe and Nantwich residents about the public purse.
“Nobody is happy about taking these tough decisions, but they are necessary to fix the foundations of our economy so that we can rebuild Britain.
“In this context, we cannot continue to provide winter fuel payments to the wealthiest pensioners.
“But I recognise this is difficult for those at the lower end of the threshold who are losing the payment, and I will work with government to support those pensioners who need additional support.
“I am committed to supporting the triple lock on pensions, which has increased pensions by £900 this year alone and will boost them by hundreds of pounds next year too.
“These increases alone far outstrip the loss of the winter fuel payment.
“The previous government was dishonest with people, making promises they couldn’t pay for. I won’t do that.
“The difficult but necessary decisions taken now will deliver the economic stability we need to grow our economy and deliver improved living conditions for all.”
In total, 348 voted in favour of cutting payments, 228 voted against.
Another 52 MPs had no vote recorded, including some ministers.
While some will have abstained as a political gesture, some may have been absent for other reasons.
Only one Labour MP, Jon Trickett, voted against the government.
thanks Conner for supporting the £900 a year (£18) per week rise. It has now put me into the tax brcket and now I pay £1144 per year, (£22) per week tax.
If the Conservatives had withdrawn the Winter Fuel Payment, they would be labelled the ‘ Nasty Party.
Well I describe this Government as the ‘ Very Nasty Party’
Those who have income just above the Pension Credit threshold will suffer and some will die especially if we have a cold winter.
The government will in reality save very little money from its 1000 billion pounds of annual expenditure.
Naismith is a a.Gutless Creep will support Anything Shammer orders Him to and Stuff the Constituents that elected Him?….
A chinless wonder he is. Don’t expect his support on anything as the MP he is too busy brown nosing the PM. He will be dropped by his party without a second thought and the good people of the constituency will not come to his aid. If you live by the sword you die by the sword. Your isolated now I hope your banned from shops pubs cafes and every retail outlet in the area. Simply scum selling out the wishes of your constitutes
Taking money from the poorest in society on low incomes who do not qualify for support i.e pension credit a betrayl by the labour party and our local M.P
In response to ‘VoiceOfReason’ and ‘TheWM’….The likes of Mick Jagger and Co have contributed many 1000s times more Income Tax and N.I.than the average citizen so why should He/They be barred from receiving the same Winter Fuel Payment as every other OAP to do with as They think Fit???
There WM Puerile observation is hardly worth commen ting on other than to recall the old adage “Experience Makes Fools Wise” Ha!…..
The Govt ATTACK on Pensioners is Horrendous! Maybe a minority of OAPs barely ever ‘Worked’ know how to exploit the Handouts are Labour’s Chosen Few but the vast majority of Oldies ‘Worked’ 50 years of their Life to boost the Civilised Society We take for granted now are being evilly hammered…
DISGUSTING!….
.
I agree not everybody needs it, and in the scheme of things, it’s not a huge amount, but there are people who depend on it, and I’d certainly like them to have priority over the (and let’s be honest here) mostly freeloading young men arriving every single day.
Coward, plain and simple. Either to scared of Keir Jong Uns wrath or ideologically captured to the point of blindness. The people of this country will NEVER forgive the Tories or Labour for what they have done to us.
Comment by Connor Naismith … “I wasn’t elected to Parliament to vote for cuts to Winter Fuel Allowance, and it’s not a choice I wanted or expected to make”
From your words above, then if you are elected by the people, then you should have VOTED NOT TO MAKE THAT CUT TO THE WINTER FUEL ALLOWANCE, not take the stance of your Leader.
Well done to MP, John Trickett for voting against the government – a person who stands by his convictions.
People don’t like it when something is taken from them. However, is it really necessary to pay EVERY pensioner a heating allowance? Most pensioners don’t need it and the ones who truly do will still get it, as it will be means tested, as all benefits should be.
About time the government started taking back from OAPs. If £300 seriously makes a difference to you in a year then I’d suggest your life choices have been a problem.
The global agenda and self serving is far more important to labour than our pensioners or the british people.
I’m thoroughly sick of hearing the phrase “£22Bn black hole”, it’s a stupid and childish cliché used by people with zero financial qualification to represent a national debt that been there for decades.
Imagine if the government had to allocate it’s funding in cash and in front of them were 100 people who’d worked all their lives, committed no crime and possibly fought for their country. Alongside them are 100 people fresh off an illegal Channel trip with no assets, no resources and possible criminal or extremist tendencies.
Who gets your bundle of cash Connor?
All politicians make me despair for the future of our country.
“Crewe & Nantwich MP defends vote to cut winter fuel payments” – a tip for our new MP: you cannot defend the indefensible.
And presumably he will be also happy to back the removal of the single persons Council Tax discount for Pensioners.
£11,500
Should have simply increase income tax on pensions to the same as that working people Kay – an extra 8%.
Crazy that a worker on 30k pays £1400 a year more in tax than someone on a 30k pension
Lowest of the low. The so called party of the people should hang their heads in shame. Abhorrent!
I’m concerned about democracy.
How can an MP say he disagrees with cutting the winter fuel allowance, yet continue to enforce such policies?
We elected you to represent us, Mr. Naismith. You’ve seen us, met us, and know we are good people.
I worry about older individuals who, fuelled by their dignity, have managed to stay just above the poverty line, unnoticed by the government. State support and benefits can be demoralizing. Silent handouts prevent silent sacrifices
Being a young lad, with no real experience of the real world before being elected, he will have no idea of the consequences of his vote.
Quite why Labour are hammering the older generation for a tiny amount of payback, whilst at the same time giving train drivers 10% on a curremt wage of £75k, giving £84 BILLION to Africa for foreign aid and other cronyism payouts is a question for them ro answer.
Next target will be bus passes, because pensioners are an easy target whilst their union paymasters demand them to do their bidding.
Naismith is Sickeningly one more MP so self interested rigidly follows the Party line without the courage of his convictions to object to an OBSCENE Govt Decision?…
Certainly gives Dr Dolittle a run for his money on who is the most inept MP we’ve had
Call me cynical but all these changes hit the eldest in the population, trying their best to make the last years these folk have the most miserable they can, where is the merit in that? This will be the hill you die on will it?? we will all never forget
I sincerely hope the foreseeable winters are not severe. How our MP will sleep at night during our cold winter days/nights I do not know. Our elderly community as they get older have illness that requires them to keep warm. As I e-mailed our MP it will be remembered !
No Labour, as a party you are dishonest and you ONLY said what you weren’t going to do but are economical with the truth of what you are going to do in the future. If you had stated in your manifesto that you were going to cut the Winter fuel payment for 10 million pensioners (who you allege are wealthy), then you certainly would NOT have got into power. Maybe change the name of your party to LIEBOUR. What else for pensions, withdrawal of old age bus passes, removal of free prescriptions, free eye tests, and triple lock will go and any rises will be means tested. AND for all, council tax re-banding will take place, VAT will go up. Worked since 17, retired at 66, did all the right things expected to do, (private pension, buy a home, pay for it for 25 years, never a burden on society nor NHS and NOW GET STUFFED BY LABOUR GOVERNMENT -WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE PEOPLE. Absolutely disgraceful government. I know a set of people who will be housed, fed and kept warm, without even having to contribute anything to it.
It would be comical if not so sad our MP, like a ventriloquist’s dummy, echoes the party line in support of a despicable decision he knows full well will hurt many of his most vulnerable constituents this Winter.
The sheer hypocrisy of MPs who so fervently pledged to represent the best interests of voters when seeking their support only to now brazenly dump on them when push comes to shove is quite mind blowing!
I applaud the solitary Lab’ MP who, unlike Naismith and his comrades, had the balls to veto a shameful Govt tactic.
We will remember this the next time Quisling.
“I wasn’t elected to Parliament to vote for cuts to Winter Fuel Allowance, and it’s not a choice I wanted or expected to make.”
So, no backbone or principles then?
Typical MP, once you’ve voted in, nose in the trough!
It’s about time Labour changed their tune, yes we know the previous Government was rubbish (putting it politely!), but everything Labour has to say just uses the same excuse to blame the previous government. Yawn Yawn Yawn.
Connor. Is your parrot called Keir? You have just trotted out the party line. It will come home to roost.
He was never going to vote no on this issue whatever his personal belief, I am afraid its called self-preservation, something most political figures are all too good at.
When wanting to be elected they will tell you what you would like to hear, after the elections blame everyone else and day it’s a difficult decision, welcome to change.
I wonder what income, Connor Naismith and the government, consider makes the wealthiest pensioners.