Reeves struggles to explain the genius of Labour’s winter fuel payment U-turn

Rachel Reeves visiting the Castlehaven horticulture hub in Camden, London. ‘You could tell she wasn’t having one of her best days.’ Photograph: James Manning/PA

Mmmm. That went well, didn’t it? One of the first things Labour did after winning the election was to cut the winter fuel allowance (WFA) for most pensioners. To show that they were strong. A signal to the bond markets that they would take the tough decisions to balance the Treasury books.

And it was just one of those things if a handful of old people decided to die of hypothermia. They were dying in a good cause. Pour encourager les autres. Let no one take being warm for granted again. Time for some proper pensioner gratitude.