Gateshead MP backs Reeves over winter fuel payments and says Labour has made 'gear change'

A North East MP says Labour delivered a “gear change” at the party’s annual conference and has defended Rachel Reeves’ decision to axe winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Labour’s mass gathering in Liverpool this week came as the Government grappled with a series of controversies, including rows over senior MPs taking gifts of free clothes and the salary of Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff. Opinion polls have shown that both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have plummeted in popularity since the general election, amid a backlash over the removal of the winter fuel allowance for all but the poorest pensioners.

But speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Tuesday morning, Gateshead Central and Whickham MP Mark Ferguson said: “I think there has been a gear change, it has been a positive conference. Rachel Reeves’ speech was very honest with people and I think being honest is incredibly important. In the past the line quite often from the previous government was ‘everything’s going great’ when we know it wasn’t.

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“People aren’t daft, they see in their day to day lives what the impact of economic decisions is. But I think Rachel also set out that positive vision that hopefully we will hear a lot more about in the months and years ahead about how we build an economy which works for working people.”

Ms Reeves' address on Monday contained confirmation that a rollout of free school breakfast clubs will start next April, while Sir Keir's pledges to conference included homes for veterans and the Hillsborough Law. Mr Ferguson, who was elected in July to succeed the retired Ian Mearns, has been named as one of the Government’s new ‘mission champions’ – tasked with working across departments to deliver on Labour’s promises on the economy, energy, crime, education, and the NHS.

Defending the winter fuel allowance decision, the former journalist added: “We were elected on the basis that we would manage the economy very carefully. We all saw with Liz Truss what happens when there are gaping holes in a Budget. I was really shocked by the scale of the black hole in the public finances, £22 billion is a huge hole. A £6 billion overspend on asylum, absolutely no plan on their end to deal with the outstanding public sector pay issues. These are issues you cannot dodge as a Government, but the last Government did.

“Difficult decisions have to be taken and ultimately it is about getting the economy and the country into a position where we are dealing with these problems and then able to do the necessary building afterwards”.

Gateshead councillor Jane McCoid announced her resignation from Labour this week, describing the Government’s reduction in the winter fuel allowance as an “attack” on vulnerable citizens and said it was “impossible to defend.”