Labour rebellion on winter fuel payment cut fizzles out

Sir Keir Starmer has won his first major political test as prime minister, seeing off a major rebellion over his government's plans to cut winter fuel payments to 10 million pensioners.

- DAVID MADDOX ARCHIE MITCHELL

On a day when the prime minister defended making tough decisions and rejected the "snake oil of easy answers" in his speech to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton, he stared down a threat of mutiny from his own backbenchers. Despite criticism at the TUC of his “austerity” policies, Sir Keir said he made no apologies for doing what was needed to fix the country.

Just one Labour MP voted against the cut, while another 53 abstained. However, only 12 of those did not have permission to be away from parliament on other business.

The prime minister had pinned his own authority to the debate on cutting winter fuel payments, as opposition parties attempted to capitalise on the difficult choices he has repeatedly said he needs to make to fill the £22bn black hole in Britain’s finances.

It came on a day when his government was also under pressure for authorising the early release of 1,700 prisoners after he claimed that the Tories had left prisons dangerously full. There were concerns that violent offenders were being allowed out early.