North Ayrshire Labour slam winter fuel allowance cuts

Concerns were aired that elderly people in our communities could die as a result of the lack of financial support over the winter months, as Labour leader Joe Cullinane described his own party's decision as "hugely disappointing".

The comments were made when Conservative councillor Cameron Inglis put forward a motion at North Ayrshire Council,

He said: " Winter fuel payments have been a source of help that has allowed our constituents to pay for rising heating bills and live their lives without having to worry about having the heating on during the winter months.

"Without these payments many people in North Ayrshire will suffer a very harsh winter without heating which could potentially lead to ill health or death.

"The council requests that the chief executive of North Ayrshire Council write to the UK and Scottish Governments expressing this council's concern and re-consider."

SNP Cllr Jean McClung described it as a "potentially catastrophic decision" but pointed out it was a UK Government decision, and wanted an amended motion put in to the council.

Joe Cullinane voiced strong opposition to the changes (Image: NAC)

Labour leader Joe Cullinane said: "I firmly believe our role is here in this chamber is to represent our constituents, deliver local services and work towards improving our communities; we are a political party and we are going to have political debates about national politics.

"My driving force is to represent our constituents and not the party that I happen to be a member of, so I am here to represent our constituents and not Keir Starmer or Rachel Reeves or any other person involved in the UK Government.

Labour leader Joe Cullnane told the chamber that they represented the interests of constituents, and not that of Keir Starmer, pictured, or Rachel Reeves of UK government (Image: PA/James Manning)

"The North Ayrshire Labour Group are unanimously in agreement that the decision on the winter fuel allowance is wrong, and it was a Labour initiative and and we are hugely disappointed that it has been changed from a universal benefit to a means tested one.

"We recognise when you have thresholds that someone will always miss out and it is an imperfect solution,. We do agree in promoting the uptake of pension credit.

"The Labour government currently running a campaign to increase the uptake of pension credit as there is 800,000 not claiming it. If everyone claimed pension credit they are entitled to the cost would be £2bn; the cost of reducing the winter fuel allowance is £1.5bn.

"Getting everyone to get pension credit who is entitled actually costs more, so  I don't understand the politics of making it the choice of one or the other.

"We do think the Labour government has got this wrong, and we do intend to support the motion which quite rightly says it covers both governments as it is also devolved."

SNP Cllr Tony Gurney slammed the austerity measure going back over past 14 years ,and said: "On the tenth anniversary of the independence referendum, I am glad that both Conservative and Labour parties have recognised now that their governments simply don't work on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Conservative Cllr Tom Marshall said: "It is evident that SNP doesn't work on behalf of people of Scotland as seen from the last general election, and 25 per cent of my electorate are over 65, and some of them will lose £200, and some £300, and it will be a choice of heating or eating for people."

Cllr McClung said she was pleased that everyone in the council chamber agreed that the winter fuels allowance cut was a "horrendous decision".

A total of 14 councillors voted for the motion, with 10 for the amendment, and as a consequence, chief executive Craig Hatton is to write to the UK and Scottish Governments expressing the council's concern.