Furious trade unions demanded answers from Labour this morning after party officials were accused of deliberately ducking a vote on the end of universal Winter Fuel Credit.
Unite the Union and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) were left angry when a motion calling for the Government to U-turn on its decision was not selected to be voted on at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool today.
Delegates to the party’s annual conference in Liverpool are debating Labour’s economic plans on Monday, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves giving a key note address at midday.
However, a motion from Labour’s biggest union backer – supported by the CWU – was not selected to be voted on in the conference hall.
Sir Keir Starmer looks set to avoid an embarrassing vote on Winter Fuel PaymentsPAAndy Green, chairman of Unite the Union, said the decision was “an outrage” as he accused the Labour leadership of showing “disrespect” to its members.
“This is simply an attempt to take out the debate on the Winter Fuel Allowance,” he said in an address to the party conference on the failure of party officials to pick the motion for debate.
“Today is economy day at conference and we have the Chancellor speaking and a conference composited motion on the growth mission which is scheduled for this morning.
“So it is more a surprise and in fact an outrage to us that the composited motion from Unite and the CWU on an economy for the future is not listed on the agenda for today.
Unite the Union’s Sharon Graham described the Winter Fuel Allowance policy as “cruel” and a “mis-step”
Jacob King/PA Wire
“It is disrespectful to our members and every single delegate here, and conference itself who voted for the priorities ballot.”
Labour delegates cheered as Green criticised Labour for dodging the vote.
GB News understands the motion will instead be debated on Wednesday, after Sir Keir Starmer has made his speech to Labour members and already left Liverpool.
Unite has already unveiled billboards around Liverpool with the slogan “Defend the winter fuel payment” and plans to stage a demonstration outside the conference centre later today.
The union’s general secretary Sharon Graham described the policy as “cruel” and a “mis-step”, while Matt Wrack, the head of the Fire Brigades Union, said it was a “politically inept” decision that would “haunt” the Government for years.
Restricting winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners has put the Government at odds with the unions as Chancellor Rachel Reeves attempts to fill what she claims is a £22 billion “black hole” in this year’s budget left by the Conservatives.
Unite’s motion called for a wealth tax on the richest one per cent of people and other changes to the tax regime that the Government has so far been keen to avoid.
The motion said: “Britain cannot wait for growth, nor turn back to failed austerity.
“We need a vision where pensioners are not the first to face a new wave of cuts and those that profited from decades of deregulation finally help to rebuild Britain.”