A copy of a Conservative petition signed by hundreds of thousands of people has been sent to the Labour Party in Southport calling on them to restore Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners.
According to local Conservatives, around 20,568 pensioners across Southport and the Northern Parishes will lose up to £300 in Winter Fuel Payment after Labour MPs, including Southport’s Labour MP, Patrick Hurley, voted to scrap the scheme last month
Conservatives say the move leaves many older people being forced to choose between heating and eating.
Now more than 240,000 people across the country have signed a Conservative Party petition calling on the payments to be restored and to help save pensioners’ lives this winter.
Mike Prendergast, Conservative Group Leader on Sefton Council and Parliamentary Spokesperson for Southport Conservatives said, “This petition clearly shows how many people agree with us and think scrapping the payments was a cruel, heartless decision and completely the wrong thing to do.”
“But ahead of the Budget, and potentially even afterwards, there is still time for Labour to do the right thing and make a U-turn on their decision to not only end the worry and anxiety facing millions of vulnerable older people, but also potentially save lives.
“I want Labour here in Southport and the Northern Parishes to think long about their priorities – prove they are with pensioners here and not with their union paymasters and scooping up freebies.
“I would have voted against this plan to take money away from pensioners and will continue to support vulnerable older people through the winter months as best as I can.”
In total, 347 Labour MPs, including Patrick Hurley, voted to cut the payments, despite warnings from Conservatives some pensioners could die as a result of scrapping the payments.
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