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'There will be more deaths': Former Labour MP John McDonnell tells LBC he will not vote to scrap winter fuel benefits
8 September 2024, 17:45 | Updated: 9 September 2024, 09:19
John McDonnell tells Lewis Goodall why he will be voting against his party’s winter fuel cut plans
Former Labour heavyweight and ex-Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has told LBC that people could die if the Government pushes ahead with its cuts to winter fuel payments.
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The left-wing MP told Lewis Goodall on LBC that he will not vote for the changes if there is no adjustment before they are put before Parliament.
Mr McDonnell said: "I will vote against it. We've had 14 years of austerity I don't think my community can cope with it anymore.
"My fear is, as a result of this, there will be more deaths."
Read More: Gemma Collins slams government plans to scrap winter fuel payments labelling them 'disgusting'
On the policy, Mr McDonnell added: "It's the wrong route to go down - it will disillusion people. This is not what a Labour government should be doing I'm afraid.
"My fear is there may be other austerity measures coming down the track".
"Labour are dropping like a lead balloon in opinion polls because of decisions like this".
On Saturday, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that removing the winter fuel payments for pensioners who are not in receipt of other state benefits was "tough decision" aimed at improving living standards.
The affirmation came after Rosie Duffield, Labour MP for Canterbury, also said she would not vote to scale back the benefit.
In Dublin, Sir Keir was asked how potential rebels could be punished if they do not vote with the Government, but would not be drawn into answering.
He told broadcasters: "I was elected in and our Government was elected in with a clear mandate for change.
"We will only bring about that change if we stabilise our economy."
In response to rumours that Labour MPs could lose the whip for their stance, Mr McDonnell, who currently sits as an independent, said: "I want the whip but I will vote against it (unless the bill is changed) I can't do anything else".
Mr McDonnell added: "My view is that it isn't the vote this week will be symbolic. It won't be symbolic for many of my constituents because they're on the edge, they're people who have saved up a little small pension.
"That means that they can't claim pension credit. That means they'll lose this benefit and as a result they're really worried because energy prices have increased by 10%.
"And for many of them, they're vulnerable. Some of them have got disabilities and sickness issues, and as a result, they use up more energy as a result of that. And therefore they're at risk."
"I met with Age UK during the week. Their figures now are that roughly about 5,000 excess deaths every year , a lot of that is associated with the cold weather and the conditions of their houses and the inability to turn on the heating cause of poverty."
