Labour ministers are facing a backbench rebellion over their planned cuts to Winter Fuel Payments as the Tories try to stop the controversial move being forced through without a debate.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves had hoped to strongarm the policy – which will deny an estimated 10million pensioners annual help with energy bills worth up to £300 – through Parliament without MPs even getting the opportunity to discuss it.
Under the terms of secondary legislation quietly published on Thursday and due to come into force on September 16th, the means-testing of Winter Fuel Payments would simply come into force automatically 40 days later.
But the Conservative opposition has a chance to derail the Chancellor’s ploy after a submitting an Early Day Motion that challenges the Government to hold a debate on the topic.
Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott said: ‘This Labour government has tried to avoid scrutiny in Parliament for the consequences of their actions, but the public deserve better.
‘On behalf of the ten million pensioners left on the hook for Labour’s political prioritisation of their union paymasters, we are determined to ensure this issue is debated.’
The EDM has already been signed by current leader of the opposition Rishi Sunak, Shadow Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride.
It is expected that many more MPs will sign it, possibly including some Labour ones who are worried about the impact of the Winter Fuel Payment cuts on their constituents.
The Government would have to agree for the debate to reach the Commons, and experts believe it will do so despite the embarrassment of seeing its own MPs condemning the policy.
Even if the topic were debated and led to a vote, the Government would win any division easily given its huge working majority of 167 – although it would allow the Tories to show voters they tried to stop the hugely unpopular cuts while Labour allowed them to happen.
Some backbench Labour MPs may even decide to rebel and risk losing the party whip by voting with the Tories, with many already writing to Ms Reeves to raise concerns about vulnerable older people going cold this winter.
One backbench Labour MP has already indicated she could back the opposition.
Rachael Maskell, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ageing and Older People, told Times Radio: ‘I would have to see what the motion said but I think government should lead this initiative and ensure that it is protecting the most vulnerable.’
Former Labour minister Baroness Harman this weekend suggested the policy could be revised so that it affects fewer people.
She told Times Radio: ‘It might be that they decide to make a different cut-off point, so those discussions might be underway.’
Labour peer Lord Foulkes of Cumnock has condemned the Chancellor’s ‘terrible blunder’, telling the Guardian: ‘I know there is widespread support, on the Labour benches, for a rethink and that Reeves can demonstrate she is the statesperson I know her to be by telling the Treasury mandarins to think again.’
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden was told yesterday that the current calculation means that pensioners on as little as £12,000 a year could lose their Winter Fuel Payments.
He told the BBC: ‘It’s not a decision we wanted to take, this is a decision we had to take because we came into office with a whole series of things that had been announced by the previous Government for which no money had been set aside.’