BOOS and jeers were heard at the Labour conference in Liverpool after the delay of a key vote on the recent scrapping of the Winter Fuel Payment.
Delegates were expected to vote on Monday on a motion from trade unions opposing the cut – a controversial move from Keir Starmer’s party that will see 10 million pensioners lose out.
But the vote has now been postponed until Wednesday – by which time Starmer will have left the city.
The move led to boos and jeers in the conference main hall from frustrated attendees, even leading to a Labour official on stage to intervene: “This conference is being watched around the country. So let’s stop this shouting and booing.”
It comes as scores of retired members of Unite will stage a protest outside the conference centre at lunchtime as part of the union’s campaign against the winter fuel allowance cut.
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended her position, arguing that increased take-up of pension credit – which will now be used to determine eligibility for the winter fuel payments worth up to £300 – and state pension rises would protect incomes.
“Already, the triple lock means that the pension this year is worth £900 more than a year ago, I’ll announce at the Budget probably another increase of around £460 next April, and over the course of this parliament, the new state pension is likely to rise by £1700.
“So, we are protecting pension incomes through the triple lock, which means that they will go up by the highest of inflation, 2.5% or earnings.”
The chancellor was asked on LBC whether the debate on the Winter Fuel Payment being moved to the conference’s final morning was Labour “running scared of this vote taking place prior to the Prime Minister’s address”.
She said: “I don’t know the situation about when votes take place, but if delegates want to vote on this, they will get a vote on this.
“I don’t know the timing of the vote, but we’ve already had a vote in Parliament where it was overwhelmingly passed.”
Unite’s Andy Green said it was an “outrage,” telling delegates: “This is simply an attempt to take out the debate on the winter fuel allowance.”
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