A festive window display has been causing a stir in Newtownards after a butcher highlighted the Prime Minister’s decision to means test winter fuel payments.
Dressed as the Grinch, Sir Keir Starmer appears next to the words ‘Starmer steals pensioners’ Christmas money’ on the window of Albert Boal’s butchers shop on the Movilla Road in the town.
The decision to means test the fuel payments is estimated to drive 100,000 additional pensioners into poverty by 2026.
Ofgem confirmed the energy price cap will rise in January for a second consecutive time, with average energy bills set to jump 1.2% to £1,738.
Speaking to this newspaper, Mr Boal said the window was painted on Tuesday, but images have been spread on social media in the past few days.
“People are coming from all over to see it and I’ve had no complaints as of yet,” he said.
“One person came in to tell me that I needed to put an apostrophe on ‘pensioners’, but that was it!
“There’s a girl who comes and paints my window for Christmas and Halloween and different things, and I have just been thinking for so long how funny it would be to have Starmer as the Grinch.
“Without being too political, I just think what he did was very wrong. It doesn’t bother me if you vote Labour, Tory or whatever, I just thought that decision was a bad thing to do.”
Albert Boal’s Christmas window display
Mr Boal is no stranger to his window display being a talking point.
“Last year, I got her to paint a turkey running away from a doctor chasing it with a needle,” he said.
“I’ve got it painted with Paddington, as well when the Queen passed away and for Captain Tom, but I just thought this was an opportunity to say what I feel.
“A lot of my customers would be pensioners, and I’m a pensioner myself, so you hear about the effect this will have on people and it’s just not nice. Some of them are near in tears talking to me about it.
“It affects so many people, my customers, neighbours, all sorts.”
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Mr Boal started out as a butcher in Newtownards 51 years ago when he was just 15, and opened his own shop 12 years ago.
“A lot of people who come in here, I know who they are, I know their families, parents, grandparents, children, and they all agree with the window,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want to offend anyone, but it’s what everyone thinks.
“In this business, people often come in for a chat and you get to know them. It’s a good place for people to get things off their chests.
“Times are hard, so sometimes people need a bit of a lift, and what better way than dressing the PM as the Grinch?”
News Catch Up – Thursday 28 November