Jackie Baillie urges Labour Government to 'listen' to Winter Fuel Payment backlash as she is heckled by furious voters

-Credit: (Image: PA)
-Credit: (Image: PA)


Scots Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie has urged the UK Government to “listen very carefully” to angry pensioners about losing their Winter Fuel Payment.

Baillie appeared to call for more older people to be able to keep the £300 lifeline after getting repeatedly heckled on TV.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves surprised senior Scottish Labour figures when she announced plans to strip nine million older people of the payment - with up to 900,000 of them north of the border.

Reeves has said the cut is necessary to help fill a £22bn black hole left by the Tories.

The payment will be linked to benefits but concerns exist that low income pensioners will miss out just as energy bills are to rise.

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Baillie, who has championed older people as MSP, was grilled on BBC Debate Night by an angry audience and rival politicians.

One man asked what the removal of the WFP said about Labour’s priorities.

Baillie replied: “This is not a decision that anybody welcomes. Even the Labour Government that took the decision didn’t want to do it. We were faced with a £22bn black hole”.

She was heckled at this point before saying: “We have said we want to make sure that the fundamentals in both the Budget and in the economy work.

“It’s not a choice I would have wanted to make, I’ve got to be honest with you about that, but what we need to do is protect those pensioners who are absolutely the worst off.”

A female audience member rounded on Baillie by saying voters could not understand why pensioners were the first group to be targeted by the Government.

She said her twin sister had voted Labour for the first time in July but now felt “completely betrayed”.

Baillie responded: “I understand that and I hear what people are saying, but I can only say to you that my colleagues went into office not expecting that £22bn black hole.”

She was heckled again before saying she would pass on the concerns: “I am listening and I will communicate those views to colleagues.”

Another angry audience member attacked “disgusting” Scottish Labour MPs for voting for the cut.

Baillie said: “I think the public have been very clear about what they think about this. There are pensioners who don’t need this money, and some of them have said that, some of them already give the money away either to local charities or they don’t take it.

“But I do think we need to listen very carefully to what people have said about eligibility and the threshold being higher.”

Former First Minister Alex Salmond, SNP Cabinet Secretary Kate Forbes and ex Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw also criticised Labour.

An opinion poll this week also suggested the backlash had hurt Scottish Labour.

Baillie has represented the Dumbarton seat since 1999 and older voters are a key part of her local coalition.

One party source said: “Jackie will be raging about this policy.”

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