UK politics: Winter fuel allowance cuts could reduce pensioner poverty by raising benefit take-up, says minister – as it happened

Members of Unite the union in a protest about cuts to the winter fuel payment at the Labour party conference. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

5.16pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Keir Starmer has told Russia he does not know how it can show its face at the United Nations after invading Ukraine and treating its own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder”.

• The Labour leadership has lost a highly anticipated motion at the party’s conference that called on ministers to reverse the cuts to winter fuel payments. Reacting to the defeat, Starmer said it would not decide policy. He told Channel 4 News:

I do understand how, you know, colleagues in the Labour movement feel about this.

This is clearly a difficult decision but a motion at conference doesn’t dictate government policy.

• Stephen Timms, a welfare minister, has said that over time the winter fuel payment cuts could actually reduce pensioner poverty, because it is encouraging pensioners to claim pension credit. (See 2.25pm.)

• People who have been on long-term sickness leave and claiming benefits will need get back into the workplace “where they can”, Starmer has said.

• Starmer has said he wants to meet Kamala Harris and Donald Trump before the US election, as he declined to back one of his ministers who said the Republican candidate had contributed to racist rhetoric in the UK.

4.58pm BST

Tories accuse Starmer of being 'addicted to luxury' in fresh attack on his record accepting donations

In interviews today Keir Starmer has for the first time given a detailed explanation as to why he chose to accept an accommodation donation worth £20,000 around the time of the general election. (See 9.49am.)

But if he expected the opposition to accept his explanation and let go of the story, he’ll be disappointed. The Conservative party has just issued a fresh attack on Starmer over this, in the form of a statement from Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow business secretary. He said:

This row isn’t about the preferential treatment he has given his child during their education, whilst taxing the schooling of thousands of others; nor is it about him and his wife being lavished with designer clothes whilst pensioners face the choice between heating and eating this winter.

This is about Keir Starmer, and his top team, thinking the rules don’t apply to them. They have become utterly addicted to luxury clothing, holidays and services provided by their mega donor whilst expecting everyone else to tighten their belt. Why does he always think he’s a special case?

Labour promised to be a government of service but all they’ve offered is a government of self-service.