A former MP has slammed Labour councillors after a Tory motion, calling for a challenge to the government over controversial cuts to winter fuel payments, failed.
Mark Jenkinson, the Tory MP for the former Workington constituency from 2019 to 2024, stated critically that ‘not one Labour councillor voted to defend the winter fuel allowance in Cumberland Council, not a single one’.
It comes after Cumberland Council voted down a motion to criticise the Labour government's decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners, as proposed by the Conservative Group over concerns that the cut would have a large negative impact on vulnerable residents.
Millions of pensioners will lose winter fuel payments this year after the government won a parliamentary vote on the plan to restrict the payments to only the poorest pensioners.
At the meeting on Friday, September 27, two motions were tabled, the other being an amendment from the council’s Liberal Democrats suggesting similar changes but emphasising the need to encourage pensioners to claim pension credit.
Both motions included resolutions for the leader and chief executive to write to the government disagreeing with the decision on the cut to the winter fuel
Due to the two amendments being very similar, Councillor Tim Pickstone Leader of the Liberal Democrats suggested the council lift the wording of the motion into the Conservative motion and the Liberal Democrat motion be withdrawn.
READ MORE: Cumbrian pensioners' outrage at Winter Fuel Payments
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Pickstone said he found it ‘bizarre’ that the Conservatives proposed the motion, given their role in the country’s current financial challenges.
Both motions were ultimately rejected, meaning the council will not write to the government regarding the winter fuel allowance cuts.
Before the meeting, Mr Jenkinson stated that the motion would enable voters to find out if their councillor is ‘backing their residents on the winter fuel payment or simply going to toe the party line’, adding that the Conservative’s motion called for the council to ‘do more for those who lose out’.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel