'I voted Labour for the first time in my life - a decision I now deeply regret'

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


The recent move by Cornwall's Labour MPs to side with the government, voting against a Conservative effort to halt the abolishment of the winter fuel allowance for millions, has provoked the readers of CornwallLive to voice their concerns.

Cornwall's four Labour MPs have come under fire for voting with the Government against a Tory bid to stop it from scrapping the winter fuel allowance. Labour's Perran Moon, the MP for Camborne and Redruth, Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay and Anna Gelderd, the MP for South East Cornwall, all voted against a Conservative motion which would have blocked the government's plans to means-test the winter fuel allowance.

The Labour government won a vote over the plan to restrict the payments to all but the poorest pensioners by 348 votes to 228 - a majority of 120. Fifty-two Labour MPs did not take part in the vote, including seven ministers.

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One of our readers, Cockneyinvader brought up the promises that the Labour Party made during the election: "Didn't Starmer say during the debate on TV 'We must protect our pensioners'? Well that has gone. But stopping the winter fuel payment will have another plus for the government. The hospital waiting time will come down as pensioners die this winter. Wonder who pays for our 4 Corwall Labour MPs heating bills when they are in London? You and me as they claim it as an expense."

Sekliw sadly says: "I voted labour for the first time in my life, a decision I now deeply regret. If I am able to live throughout this term of office I will never repeat this grave error again."

Snozzell adds: "Isn't it strange that everyone who was telling us to vote Labour before the election have quietly slunk away."

Newquayhappy writes: "They strip our own people money off them people who work hard and contribute all there life however they can 6 million pounds to give to war zones?"

Sunshinystorm comments: "More pressure for the NHS then, something I'm sure will be privatised before long. Winter fuel allowance is a lifeline for the elderly and vulnerable. But heck, we were warned. Better the devil you know."

Padstow1 say: "Starmer doing for Labour what Nick Clegg did for the Lib Dems and Liz Truss for the Tories."

Starmerville queries: "It's quite suspicious that pensioners are quite nervous about being means tested for a yearly payment they have to apply for. Are a lot of pensioners running criminal enterprises? Just asking questions."

Pyworthypilgrim asks: "Would it not just be more sensible to make this a taxable benefit? Those not liable to pay tax, i.e. the lower earning band, would receive the allowance in full. Those within the tax band would pay tax on it, receive the balance, and the Govt. would recoup from those liable for tax. Comments please?"

DenG replies: "Of course it would, trouble is there are not very many bright people in politics and don't forget that if you simplify things you need less slippery servants to administer things. Its all a political game and a lot of elderly people don't vote Labour as we have long memories of what the '70s were like. What is heading our way will refresh a lot of those memories for the younger people now. By the way you have shown why you are not a slippery servant or a politician

Dis1954 believes: "The point is Labour are as bad if not worse than the rest of the them taking for themselves as much as they can whilst squeezing all of us."

DenG agrees: "My point is more general neither party are sqeaky clean. Unfortunately, the larger the majority the worse it gets. The conservatives had a massive majority but made a mess and now we are seeing the same if not worse from the new lot."

Over on our CornwallLive Facebook page - Lynne Child writes: "We wouldn't have expected anything different, even if they had disagreed with it, they obviously had to protect their jobs, with a yearly salary that makes a pensioners salary look pretty meagre and that's without what they claim for expenses, which is more than the amount of pension most pensioners get. Disgusting, Despicable people."

Trevor Bilkey adds: "Tell us one thing when they want your vote and do totally different when they get in office. Total waste of time the lot of them. Proves again in it for their own ends."

John Pate asks: "Does that mean these Labour MPs are going to give up their heating allowance?"

Stephen Gent believes: "Labour has just condemned itself to another 20 years in the wilderness once we’ve had the chance to kick them out!"

Malcolm Baker comments: "The winter fuel allowance has NOT been scrapped it has been means tested . The only thing wrong with it that the threshold need to be adjusted."

Louise Lawrence adds: "Headline should read 'Cornwall MPs Try to Defend the Indefensible.'"

Robert Jones looks at the bigger picture: "The figure for the winter fuel payment would be 1.2 billions sounds a lot but the GDP of the U.K. is 3.08 Trillion so clearly a wealthy country. Shell made 22.4 Billion in profit last year so who can afford to take a loss certainly not our elderly."

Sandra Martin says: "It's all well and good giving us £460 next year but you are going to tax us on that so really you are just giving us a little over what you have taken away from us this year - so really no increase! Very clever of you, but we pensioners are not stupid."

Do you believe that the Labour Party has signed the death warrant for our pensioners? Let us know in the comments below or HERE.

Steven Morgan writes: "I am lucky to live in Cornwall, but am shocked and ashamed by the four newly elected Labour MPs that voted for scrapping the winter fuel allowance. One of them Noah Law stood on the door step and said, "We will look after the pensioners." Eight weeks down the road from getting the keys to Number Ten they do this to us. Well all I can say is make the most of your salary, expensive, perks and fiddles you will get over the next five years because you will be looking for a new job. For every pensioner that dies this winter their death will lay at yours and the The Labour Party's feet."

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