Carol Vorderman Urges Sir Keir Starmer to Apologize for Winter Fuel Payment Cut

[Social Media]

 

Carol Vorderman, known for her long-standing role on the Channel 4 game show Countdown, has called on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to issue an apology for the recent cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners. The policy, which was passed by Parliament despite a significant number of Labour MPs abstaining from the vote, has sparked widespread criticism.

 

Ministers have defended the decision, arguing that "tough decisions" are necessary to repair the public finances, but the move has left many pensioners worried about how they will manage financially during the winter months.

 

In an appearance on Sky News' Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Vorderman expressed her astonishment at Labour's decision to pursue the cut. When asked what Sir Keir Starmer should do in response, Vorderman stated, "I think he should apologize. I absolutely do." She has become increasingly vocal about her political views in recent years and was notably active in the run-up to July's general election, supporting a tactical voting initiative aimed at preventing a Conservative victory.

 

Vorderman highlighted the significant role the tactical voting website played during the election, noting that nearly two million postcodes were entered, demonstrating its influence. She expressed disappointment that millions of people who "loaned their vote to Labour" in the hope of addressing the growing inequality over the past 14 years were now facing the reality of this controversial cut. "This [cutting the winter fuel allowance] is the first thing," Vorderman lamented, pointing out the stark contrast between the public's expectations and the government's actions.

 

She acknowledged that there might be justification for removing the payment, which can be worth up to £300, from wealthier pensioners who receive it regardless of their financial situation. "I'll be one of those in two years' time," Vorderman noted, adding, "So I wouldn't need the winter fuel allowance payment." However, she argued that reducing the number of eligible pensioners from 12 million to less than two million was a drastic and insufficient measure. "I'm shocked by it because they could raise that money in so many other ways," she said.

 

When asked if she believed the government had "duped" the public before coming into power, Vorderman responded emphatically, "I do, I really do. And I am shocked because, even extracting the fact that many pensioners will be suffering because of it… it is unbelievable that this new Labour government, the first thing they do is that? It is not, I don't believe, what they were voted in to do, it is quite astonishing really."

 

In response, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones defended the government's actions during an interview with Sophy Ridge. Jones argued that the Labour government had a mandate from the election to manage public finances responsibly. He claimed that the previous Conservative government had concealed the fact that there were £22 billion in bills due this year for essential services like healthcare, education, and law enforcement, with no funds allocated to cover these costs. "That's about resetting the budget so that at the Labour Budget on 30 October, we can start to invest in fixing the foundations and then start to deliver on our manifesto to rebuild Britain," Jones concluded.

 

Credit: Sky News 2024-09-12

 

 

 

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[James105]

Yet more Labour voter regret.  Other than the tribalist loons everybody hates the nasty party now.  Hopefully there is something left to rebuild in 5 years time so the recovery from this disaster can begin when these clowns leave the big top.   

[JonnyF]

Just another lefty idiot that longed for a Labour government, totally unaware of what a disaster it would be. 

 

Looks like he might be coming for their free bus passes next.

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/09/09/labour-refuses-to-rule-out-scrapping-bus-passes-pensioners/

 

[Kinok Farang]

Great sentiment but this woman just loves the sound of her own voice.Virtue signalling at it's finest.

[kidneyw]

Does he not know who she is?

[JonnyF]

On 9/12/2024 at 3:37 AM, Social Media said:

He claimed that the previous Conservative government had concealed the fact that there were £22 billion in bills due this year for essential services like healthcare, education, and law enforcement, with no funds allocated to cover these costs.

 

And yet curiously he refuses to release key information about this black hole when requested. You think he'd be desperate to back up his claims. 

 

More lies from the nasty party. 

 

https://www.ft.com/content/7f686444-7036-4efc-82c5-971b0f3929fa

 

[hotandsticky]

On 9/12/2024 at 9:45 AM, James105 said:

Yet more Labour voter regret.  Other than the tribalist loons everybody hates the nasty party now.  Hopefully there is something left to rebuild in 5 years time so the recovery from this disaster can begin when these clowns leave the big top.   

 

 

That is all well and good but the Tories will need those 5 years to reinvent themselves into an electable party. Their self-destruction is deep-rooted.

[frank83628]

they seem to have enough money to house, feed and care for illegal immigrants, but not pensioners that have payed into the system for majority of their lives.

[norfolkandchance]

Retired in February.

[James105]

7 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

That is all well and good but the Tories will need those 5 years to reinvent themselves into an electable party. Their self-destruction is deep-rooted.

 

The problem is that when a party does as badly as the current Labour party is doing the only thing the opposition needs to do is complain without offering any solutions.  This is how Labour achieved their huge majority by whinging at everything the then government did and offered no solutions - they were not electable but got elected anyway on a lower vote count than Labour received in 2019.   What is fundamentally clear is they had no concrete plans of what to do when they got into government and it is showing.   Starmer is a weak man and is so far out of his depth he is drowning, and they don't have anyone else who is capable of taking over.  

[hotandsticky]

8 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

The problem is that when a party does as badly as the current Labour party is doing the only thing the opposition needs to do is complain without offering any solutions.  This is how Labour achieved their huge majority by whinging at everything the then government did and offered no solutions - they were not electable but got elected anyway on a lower vote count than Labour received in 2019.   What is fundamentally clear is they had no concrete plans of what to do when they got into government and it is showing.   Starmer is a weak man and is so far out of his depth he is drowning, and they don't have anyone else who is capable of taking over.  

 

 

Correct.

 

 

The Tories could not have done a better job of shooting themselves in the foot if the tried.................... 5 years in the wilderness is the price to pay - and they need to look a lot better if they are to sweep Labour away in 2029.