IT'S A FULL-ON REVOLT OVER WINTER FUEL CUTS

Sir Keir Starmer has now 'lost the support of his party, MPs and paymasters'

- Steph Spyro

SIR Keir Starmer was hit by a full-scale revolt as Labour MPs, unions and party members defied him and voted to reverse cuts to pensioners' winter fuel payments.

The humiliation for the PM came on the final day of his party's conference as delegates backed a motion calling for the lifeline of up to £300 to be restored.

Unite union general secretary Sharon Graham was cheered as she demanded a U-turn on scrapping the handout for 10 million pensioners, saying: "This is not what people voted for." One Tory source said: "Starmer has lost the support of the Labour Party, his MPs and paymasters." The gathering in Liverpool heard Ms Graham make an impassioned plea for the allowance to be restored.

The union chief declared: "People simply do not understand - I do not understand how our new Labour Government can cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners and leave the super-rich untouched.

"This is not what people voted for. It is the wrong decision and needs to be reversed. We are the sixth richest economy in the world.

We have the money." Alan Tate, of the Communication Workers Union, said the winter fuel payment cut had "overshadowed" the work of the new administration. He added: "The CWU has been inundated with emails and calls from our retired members worried about choosing between heating and eating." Yesterday's vote is not binding on the Government and ministers quickly insisted that their controversial policy will not be reversed.

But Sir Keir's own MPs, union members and OAPs demanded the cash is restored in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Budget on October 30. Labour MP Rachael Maskell said: "I am proud that the Labour Party conference has voted to maintain the winter fuel payments.