Responding to the government decision to largely reverse the cut in winter fuel payments, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said:

“Common sense has finally prevailed as the winter fuel cut is reversed for most pensioners. Whilst this is an important step forward, questions will be asked about how this disastrous decision was made in the first place, the damage may not easily be reversed.

“Leadership is about choices and the choice to pit workers against pensioners was simply wrong.

 “Instead of what seems to be a never-ending cycle of cuts, Labour needs to revisit the fiscal rules and bite the bullet on a wealth tax. Britain is the sixth richest economy in the world, the idea that we would be picking the pockets of our pensioners was unnecessary and unforgivable.”

 When the government announced it was cutting the winter fuel payment, Unite mounted a political and grassroots campaign to get the decision overturned. This included organising a vote at Labour conference opposing the cut in winter fuel payments, and grassroots campaigning which got the cut partially reversed in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

ENDS