JON Trickett is the only Labour MP to vote for a motion aiming to scrap cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment.
Parliament voted to scrap the universal Winter Fuel Payment, meaning around 10 million pensioners have been stripped of the cash to help pay for heating bills.
Trickett was the only Labour MP to vote to block the cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment, with the Tory motion voted down by 348 to 228 with 52 abstentions from Labour.
Following the vote, Trickett released a statement saying he could not vote to cut the payment in “good conscience”.
Here’s all you need to know.
Who is Jon Trickett?
Trickett has been an MP since 1996 and was most recently elected at the General Election to represent the Normanton and Hemsworth constituency.
He was the leader of Leeds City Council from 1989 to 1996 before being elected to Westminster.
He has held a number of shadow cabinet portfolios and was parliamentary private secretary to the prime minister when Gordon Brown was in No 10.
Trickett has also been the shadow secretary of state for communities and local government and shadow minister for the constitutional convention.
During a reshuffle in 2016, he was made shadow secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy.
What did he say after the vote?
Following the vote, Trickett released a statement on Twitter/X explaining why he had voted against cutting the Winter Fuel Payment.
He said: “The Winter Fuel Payment was a great Labour achievement. When it was introduced by Gordon Brown in 1997, I was proud to vote for it.
“That Labour government had a transformative impact on pensioner poverty, which fell from 28% to 13% during our time in office.
My comment on the winter fuel payment vote 👇 pic.twitter.com/lq5yD5hDUu
— Jon Trickett MP (@jon_trickett) September 10, 2024
“It shames our country that pensioner poverty has now risen to 18% after fourteen years of Conservative Party rule.”
He went on to say that the coming winter would be “extremely difficult for my constituents of all ages” and that removing the payment means “many more will fall into poverty this winter”.
“We know that the consequences of pensioner poverty are devastating. It can even be a matter of life and death,” he said.
“I have worked behind the scenes to try and change the government’s position, but to no avail.
“Our country is richer than it’s ever been, but the wealth is not shared fairly. In my view the government should be looking to raise revenues from the wealthiest in society, not working class pensioners.
“I could not in good conscience vote to make my constituents poorer. I will sleep well tonight knowing that I voted to defend my constituents.”
Will he be suspended?
Starmer (below) previously suspended a number of his MPs after they voted for an SNP motion to scrap the two-child benefit cap.
The Prime Minister has so far declined to say whether Labour MPs who vote against the cut will be suspended from the party.
He told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that it would be a “matter for the chief whip”.
