Labour is facing mounting pressure to rethink its direction after a bruising election result that left voters disillusioned and the most vulnerable facing colder, hungrier days.
The Scottish Greens have led the call for an immediate reversal of recent cuts to social security and Winter Fuel Payments, labelling them “cruel” and “needless.”
Co-leader Lorna Slater did not mince her words, saying Labour’s majority was a mandate for transformation, not punishment.
Instead of bold, hopeful reform, she said, they delivered austerity with a fresh face, alienating many who once believed in change.
Pensioners across the UK have felt the bite, with some choosing between food and heating, a grim choice no one should have to make.
Meanwhile, disabled people are bracing for worse, as billions in cuts land squarely on those already navigating a cost of living crisis.
It’s not just disheartening—it’s avoidable, Slater insists.
“There is more than enough wealth in this country to ensure no one goes cold,” she said, “but it’s being hoarded by the super-rich.”
The Greens are pushing for a sweeping wealth tax aimed at the UK’s richest 0.5%, with rates rising from 1% to 10% depending on assets.
Their proposal is backed by researchers at the University of Greenwich, who say such a tax could rake in up to £130 billion a year.
That’s money which could revitalise public services, fund green infrastructure, and finally put an end to poverty as we know it.
The contrast is stark—an economic vision of investment and care versus one of cuts and caution.
As Slater points out, the UK’s richest can well afford to contribute more, and the country cannot afford not to ask them.
“We need boldness, not business as usual,” she said, urging Labour to rediscover the courage voters once hoped for.
Her message is simple—stop trying to balance the books on the backs of those least able to carry the burden.
Labour’s challenge now is not just political—it’s moral.
The winter may have passed, but the chill remains, and many are still waiting for the warmth of justice.
