A former Scottish MP has accused Labour of betraying pensioners across the Highlands and Islands, calling on the party’s MPs to apologise after hinting at a reversal of the controversial Winter Fuel Payment cut.
Angus Brendan MacNeil, who represented Na h-Eileanan an Iar for nearly two decades, has spoken out following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s suggestion at Prime Minister’s Questions that the Government may now backtrack on the decision.
MacNeil, who lost his seat to Labour in last year’s General Election, said the impact of the cut was felt especially hard in the islands and rural areas where winter energy costs are punishing and alternatives are few.
He did not hold back in his criticism of Labour’s Scottish MPs, branding them “spineless” and demanding they apologise to their constituents.
“I live in Na h-Eileanan an Iar where the effect of the winter fuel payment cut was greater than the loss of money from European funding post Brexit,” MacNeil said.
“It is staggering that Labour MPs voted for this.”
He believes the party’s sudden change of heart has little to do with compassion and everything to do with political damage control ahead of next year’s Holyrood election.
“Let’s be clear, they are u-turning not on principle but because they see their poll ratings tanking across Scotland and the UK,” he said.
“With a Scottish Parliament election next year, they are scrambling to save whatever credibility they have left.”
MacNeil recalled the infamous label of “the feeble fifty” once used to describe Labour’s Scottish contingent in Westminster, warning that today’s group appears just as weak.
“Scottish pensioners were robbed last winter,” he added.
“And now, as the U-turn looms, we must ask: will the money be returned to those who went cold because of political cowardice?”
The former MP has long been a vocal supporter of Scottish independence and used this latest episode to underline his belief that Westminster cannot be trusted to act in Scotland’s best interest.
“It is clear that only independence can save us from a morally bankrupt Westminster system,” he said.
The Winter Fuel Payment, a vital lifeline for many older people during the colder months, has become a political flashpoint in the cost of living crisis.
While Labour is yet to officially confirm a reversal, Starmer’s recent comments have left critics wondering if the move was ever about policy or simply politics.
Whatever the case, the damage may already be done in the hearts and homes of the Highlands.
