The Prime Minister’s prediction yesterday that his Government “was going to have to be unpopular” on account of withdrawing winter fuel payments from all but the poorest pensioners is coming true sooner than he would have wished. The general secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, and the head of the TUC, Paul Nowak, have joined the protests along with a number of Sir Keir’s own backbenchers.
With a majority the size of Labour’s, the Prime Minister does not need to worry about getting the measure through the Commons tomorrow — most naysayers will abstain rather than risk losing the party whip — but he should think seriously about the problems that withdrawing the allowance will cause.
