Calls are intensifying for the UK Labour government to reverse its cuts to winter fuel payments, as pressure mounts from Scotland and beyond.
SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn MP has demanded a full and immediate U-turn, describing the decision to strip pensioners and disabled people of vital support as a “damaging austerity cut” that cannot be allowed to stand.
Flynn’s demand follows a blunt rebuttal from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who dismissed reports of a possible reversal as “speculative” and confirmed there would be no change to the government’s position.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Streeting said Downing Street had been “very clear” that there were no plans to revisit the cuts, dashing hopes that backlash from last week’s bruising local election results in England might trigger a rethink.
Streeting’s firm denial came despite growing anger north of the border, where around 900,000 Scottish pensioners have been hit by the removal of the winter fuel payment, sparking fury from opposition parties and voters alike.
The Scottish Government, under the new leadership of John Swinney, has pledged to reinstate the payment for pensioners in Scotland as quickly as possible.
However, Flynn warned that unless the UK government fully reverses the cut, Scotland’s budget will still suffer, reducing the funds available for essential public services.
In a sign of the damage done to Labour’s reputation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies revealed that the winter fuel payment cuts have become a defining international symbol of the new government’s approach.
Paul Johnson, Director of the IFS, shared a striking anecdote from a global insurance executive, who told him the policy was “the one thing everyone around the world knows about this government.”
Flynn did not hold back in his criticism, accusing Labour of being “hopeless, rudderless and completely out of touch” and lambasting Sir Keir Starmer’s administration for “robbing pensioners” and breaking election promises.
He warned that the cuts were not only unjust but financially harmful, draining vital funds from Scottish coffers at a time when people most need support.
“The Labour Party’s austerity cuts to pensioners and disabled people must be reversed in full now,” Flynn urged.
He also issued a clear warning ahead of the UK government’s upcoming spending review, saying any further plans to reduce support would be met with fierce resistance from the SNP.
As political tensions rise and pensioners brace for colder months ahead, the issue of winter fuel payments has become a lightning rod for a much broader debate about fairness, trust, and the priorities of the UK government.
For many, the question remains — will Westminster listen before more vulnerable lives are left out in the cold?
