Labour MP Tan Dhesi has been challenged by GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope, as he defended Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s decision to cut the Winter Fuel Payment.
Speaking at the party’s conference today in Liverpool, Reeves assured the nation that cutting the benefit for millions of pensioners ahead of the winter months was “the right decision”.
The Chancellor added that she “did not take those decisions lightly” and will “never take the responsibilities of this office lightly”.
In defence of Reeves, Slough MP Tan Dhesi offered his support for the party’s controversial decision to scrap the payment, stressing that those who will go without can instead claim for Pension Credit.
Christopher Hope challenged Labour MP Tan Dhesi on the party’s decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Payment
GB News
Dhesi told GB News: “In terms of pensioners, what we said in our manifesto is the Labour Party will commit to the triple lock on pensions.
“Pensioners under a Labour government will not just be hundreds but thousands of pounds better off in the coming months and years.”
When pressed by Christopher on the “divisive” decision to scrap the payment, Dhesi was told of the large crowd of protesters outside of the conference venue, warning that Labour are “condemning people to go cold this winter”.
Dhesi hit back: “The Winter Fuel Payment is going to be means-tested, but those on Pension Credit will continue to receive it. Approximately 900,000 people in our country are actually eligible for Pension Credit too.
Crowds of protesters gathered near to the conference venue to demonstrate against the cuts
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“I’ve been encouraging my constituents to apply, and many of us MPs have asked the government to look again at thresholds, especially because of the cliff edge as to how that relates, that those people in need should be given the support.”
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Turning the discussion to the other controversy rocking the Labour Party, Dhesi was quizzed on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “freebie” scandal, as Christopher questioned whether the current Government are “just as bad as the Tories”.
Dhesi responded: “Let’s not forget that nothing illegal has happened. In fact, we have got transparency that those who were there in terms of shadow ministers, shadow cabinet ministers, while we were in opposition, all of those things were put in the register of members interests, and it is a huge difference.
“If you juxtapose that next to what Boris Johnson was doing, spending well over 100 grand on his gold leaf wallpaper and much more besides which, by the way, he tried to hide.”
Christopher then interjected, pressing Dhesi again: “You haven’t revealed all the payments though, have you?”
Dhesi encouraged those who will be suffering without the Winter Fuel Payment to apply for Pension Credit
GB News
Dhesi hit back: “My understanding is that everything that had to be disclosed is disclosed, and obviously there are deadlines. And by certain deadlines, all of that will be disclosed.
“The key thing here is that as you’ve seen here in Liverpool, we need to set out our policy agenda. It is about how are we going to tackle the NHS crisis, we have the highest NHS waiting list on record.
“How are we going to tackle the housing crisis? If we said we’re going to build 1.5 million homes, how are we going to do that?”