Labour MPs were last night urged to put country before party and vote down cruel plans to scrap the winter fuel payment for 10 million pensioners.
MPs will vote this afternoon on the Governments controversial cut, which critics have warned will force millions of older people to turn down their heating this winter.
Sir Keir Starmer is expected to use his huge Commons majority to force through the measure, despite protests by dozens of Labour MPs who fear a huge electoral backlash.
Tory work and pensions spokesman Mel Stride urged Labour to listen to their constituents.
Throwing down the gauntlet to Labour MPs, he said: Do as you said you would and put the country before your party. Vote with us in Parliament, not against us.
Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) is expected to use his huge Commons majority to force through the measure, despite protests by dozens of Labour MPs who fear a huge electoral backlash
MPs will vote this afternoon on the Governments controversial cut, which critics have warned will force millions of older people to turn down their heating this winter (stock image)
Tory work and pensions spokesman Mel Stride (pictured) urged Labour to listen to their constituents. Throwing down the gauntlet to Labour MPs, he said: Do as you said you would and put the country before your party. Vote with us in Parliament, not against us
Change course and reverse your cruel choice to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of vulnerable pensioners.
Many driven into fuel poverty this winter will have to choose between heating and eating because of Starmer. And, if Labour MPs let this abhorrent policy go through, it will be because of them too.
Rachel Reeves last night told panicking Labour MPs she would not back down – and suggested pensioners could afford to tighten their belts this winter following a big rise in the state pension.
The Chancellor said she did not relish the cut, but warned there would be more difficult decisions to come in next months Budget.
Ministers have refused to publish an assessment of the likely impact of the cut, which will save £1.5 billion a year.
The Mail revealed yesterday that research commissioned by Labour in 2017 warned that means-testing the benefit, which is worth up to £300, would lead to almost 4,000 extra deaths each winter as pensioners struggled to keep the heat on.
A new assessment by the Resolution Foundation think-tank yesterday warned that 1.3 million of the poorest pensioners would be driven deeper into poverty by the move.
Former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon said the plan will result in the death of pensioners who wont be able to turn the heating on.
Union barons accused ministers of picking pensioners pockets. In an ominous intervention, the Unite union urged Sir Keir to abandon the very cruel policy.
Unite union boss Sharon Graham called on ministers to abandon the plans and introduce a wealth tax.
Rachel Reeves (pictured) last night told panicking Labour MPs she would not back down – and suggested pensioners could afford to tighten their belts this winter following a big rise in the state pension
Former Labour frontbencher Richard Burgon (pictured) said the plan will result in the death of pensioners who wont be able to turn the heating on
Unite union boss Sharon Graham (pictured centre during a march in January) called on ministers to abandon the plans and introduce a wealth tax
Ms Graham, whose union is one of Labours biggest donors, accused the Government of deciding to pick the pocket of pensioners while leaving the richest totally untouched.
She urged Sir Keir to do a U-turn, adding: We need to make sure that he is making the right choices and leadership is about choices. He needs to be big enough and brave enough to do a U-turn on this choice. Its completely wrong.
Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, told BBC Breakfast he was really concerned by the impact and urged a rethink.
I hope in the Budget the Chancellor will set out support available for pensioners who arent on pension or tax credit, but who are not well off by any means, to make sure that they are not frightened to turn on the heating this winter, he said.
Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said she was absolutely confident that the Treasury was looking at ways to reduce the impact of the cash grab, including restricting the winter fuel payment to those living in homes valued at council tax bands A to C.
But she was slapped down by a government source who said she misspoke and insisted there were no plans for change.
Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, Ms Reeves said she was not immune to arguments against the plan, but she had considered those when the decision was made.
The Chancellor said the blame lies with the Conservative Party for leaving behind a black hole in the public finances.
Ms Reeves said the state pension had risen by £900 this year as a result of the triple lock, meaning that pensioners have £900 more in their pockets than they did a year ago – meaning they could afford the cut to winter fuel.
Paul Nowak (pictured), TUC general secretary, told BBC Breakfast he was really concerned by the impact and urged a rethink
Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson (pictured) said she was absolutely confident that the Treasury was looking at ways to reduce the impact of the cash grab, including restricting the winter fuel payment to those living in homes valued at council tax bands A to C
Labour dissenters previously warned that the plan to axe winter fuel payments would save little money once the cost of treating pensioners hit by the cold had been factored in (file photo)
She also insisted ministers were serious about encouraging an estimated 800,000 of the poorest pensioners to claim Pension Credit, which will entitle them to keep the winter fuel payment.
New figures suggest applications have more than doubled since Ms Reeves announced her plans in July, but are still running at only around 9,000 a week.
Economists have warned that the savings from the winter fuel cut would be wiped out if all older people entitled to Pension Credit started claiming it.
Downing Street declined to say whether those who refuse to back the Government will lose the Labour whip.
Some 17 have signed a Commons motion calling for a rethink, while dozens more are privately opposed. No 10 said there had been no dissent at Cabinet over the plans yesterday.