Keir Starmer squirms on winter fuel allowance cut at PMQs as Rishi Sunak warns thousands of pensioners could die this winter – and jibes that 50 Labour MPs had ‘urgent business elsewhere’ during crunch vote

Keir Starmer squirmed on the winter fuel allowance cut today as he was grilled by Rishi Sunak at PMQs.

In tense clashes, the Tory leader warned that thousands of pensioners could die this year due to the controversial policy.

And he swiped that 50 of Sir Keir’s own MPs had mysteriously discovered ‘urgent business elsewhere’ rather than voting to support the plan in the Commons last night.

However, the premier shot back that the previous government had left a £22billion ‘black hole’ in the finances and ‘action’ had to be taken.  

Ministers are facing mounting fury after the Commons approved axing winter fuel payments worth up to £300 for 10million older people.

MPs who backed Sir Keir‘s move amid tears and recriminations at Parliament last night are being targeted online, with Tories making clear they will be held accountable.

After a day of drama just one Labour MP – veteran left-winger Jon Trickett – voted against the measure, although more than 50 abstained. 

Keir Starmer squirmed on the winter fuel allowance cut today as he was grilled by Rishi Sunak at PMQs

In tense clashes, the Tory leader warned that thousands of pensioners could die this year due to the controversial polic

Rachel Reeves again insisted this morning that she had been forced into the controversial winter fuel policy by a ‘black hole’ in the public finances

Many cited reasons such as dentist appointments for staying away, with the party claiming that only a dozen absences were not authorised. It is still unclear what punishments Sir Keir will impose, with Mr Trickett jibing that he would ‘sleep well’ after taking his stand.

Mr Sunak opened hostilities in the Commons today by demanding the government publishes the impact assessment of the winter fuel change.

Sir Keir replied: ‘The fact of the matter is this: they left a £22billion black hole and they hid it from the OBR.’

He added: ‘When it comes to mitigations and impacts, we’ve put those in place, ramping up pension credit, dealing with housing benefit and linking it, something which the party opposite didn’t do for years.

‘Because of the tough decisions that we’re making to stabilise the economy, we can make sure that the triple lock shows that increases in pensions will outstrip any loss of payment.

‘But before he complains about us clearing up his mess, perhaps he’d like to apologise for the £22billion black hole.’

Ms Reeves again insisted this morning that she had been forced into the controversial policy by a ‘black hole’ in the public finances.

The Chancellor told broadcasters: ‘We faced a situation when I became chancellor that there was a £22 billion black hole in the public finances this year.

‘That meant we had to make difficult decisions, tough decisions, to get a grip of those public finances so that we could bring stability back to the economy.

‘These weren’t decisions that I wanted to make. They weren’t decisions that I expected to make, but in the circumstances that we faced, it was absolutely right to make sure that our public finances were on a firmer footing.

‘Because only through doing that do we have the chance to bring stability back to our economy and start to grow the economy after 14 years of stagnation.’

Housing minister Matthew Pennycook told Sky News: ‘We’re not going to water down that policy. We think it’s the right decision to make.’

Asked about the Government’s decision to award pay increases to public-sector workers while reducing winter fuel support, he said: ‘What this Government has done is implement the recommendations of the independent public sector pay review bodies. 

‘Now, unless the opposition in parliament are saying they would have rejected those recommendations out of hand, allowed industrial action to continue, which was extremely costly to the UK economy, they would have faced that same decision.’

There were angry clashes in the Commons over the decision to means-test the winter fuel payment.

Only those on pensioner credit – with incomes below around £11,400 – will get the benefit in future. 

Dozens of Labour MPs abstained on the vote – which the party itself warned could kill 4,000 pensioners a year in previous research from 2017. 

Tory supporters have been attacking Labour MPs online for ‘voting to freeze your grandparents’

It is still unclear what punishments Sir Keir will impose, with Jon Trickett jibing that he would ‘sleep well’ after taking his stand

Labour’s former shadow chancellor John McDonnell said: ‘[The move] flies against everything I believe in as a Labour MP about tackling inequality and poverty in our society. I was not elected to impoverish my constituents and put them in this hardship.’

Former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey said Labour had ‘declared war on pensioners’ because they were more likely to vote Conservative.

But Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said ministers had been left with ‘no choice’ but to make the £1.5billion cut to help fill an alleged £22billion ‘black hole’ left behind by the previous Tory administration.

He said that increases in the state pension – including a £460 rise next year – would help ensure pensioners do not lose out.