Why the Government needs to perform a U-turn on winter fuel payments

However, in the case of cuts to the winter fuel payment, the Government changing course would not be a sign of weakness, rather an administration in its early days finessing policy in a way that pays back the faith that older voters put in Labour at the previous general election.

The local elections last week were a clear sign that the Government has made mistakes in its early days, the chief amongst them being the cuts to winter fuel payments.

Yes, the Government finds itself in an invidious situation having inherited a country that was on the rocks socially and economically. But balancing the nation’s finances on the backs of the elderly and vulnerable is not a good policy.

Older voters who put their trust in Labour have been betrayed. And the local election results are a reminder that the Government has work to do, and fast.

The “Reform-quake”, as Nigel Farage called it, was significant. It propelled the Reform party from upstarts to holding the levers of powers at various councils and at a mayoral level. Reform also expanded its number at Westminster following its by-election victory in Runcorn and Helsby.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting says Labour got the message “loud and clear” from voters last week and acknowledged anger about the decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.

Yet Downing Street ruled out a U-turn on means testing the winter fuel payment.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The policy is set out, there will not be a change to the Government’s policy.”

If that is the case, then alienating a large part of the electorate this early on does not bode well for this Government.