Labour have the power to end the Winter Fuel Payment cuts, yet they’re attempting to freeze voters out
by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it as much as he could and to anyone who would listen; there would be no austerity under a Labour government in Westminster, and that Labour would cut your energy bills.
Months on from that General Election campaign, it’s clear Labour have deceived the public time and time again.
They misled voters about the state of the public finances – even though the SNP and leading economists repeatedly warned them of the challenges.
They misled voters about bringing down energy bills – which are set to rise 10% this year.
Austerity Anas was even unable to give a straight answer as to whether or not he faced up to Chancellor Rachel Reeves on the Winter Fuel Payment cut.
Having just cut the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners across the UK, Scottish Labour now expect people to believe that they are in fact on the side of pensioners. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
— Shirley-Anne Somerville (@S_A_Somerville) November 19, 2024
And now, in a desperate attempt to plug his plummeting poll ratings, he has performed another screeching u-turn. The Scottish Labour leader has now promised to re-introduce the winter fuel payment in Scotland, after months of defending Keir Starmer’s plans to scrap it.
But the question remains, why won’t Labour just do this now in the midst of a cold snap that will impact upon voters in Scotland more than anywhere else in the UK?
The move is even more embarrassing considering how much Sarwar has had to backtrack for Sir Keir. From the Rape Clause to the Two Child Cap to a ceasefire in Gaza, he has had to constantly go back on his promises for fear of upsetting his Westminster bosses.
Having just cut the Winter Fuel Payment for millions of pensioners across the UK, Scottish Labour now expect people to believe that they are in fact on the side of pensioners. The hypocrisy is breathtaking.
— Shirley-Anne Somerville (@S_A_Somerville) November 19, 2024
This latest wheeze to claw back some respect from voters will do the exact opposite.
Scotland’s communities are blighted by decades of Westminster hegemony; infrastructure neglected, public services underfunded and voters taken for granted.
Scottish Labour’s constant pivots have shown them up to be nothing more than an obedient arm of the UK Labour party that over promises and then fails to deliver.
Scotland deserves better.