Sir Keir Starmer says he will not apologise for making 'tough decisions' like cutting the Winter Fuel Payment

Sir Keir gave the first major interview of his premiership on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme yesterday, from the Cabinet Room in Downing Street.

Ahead of a vote in the House of Commons tomorrow on the government’s plans to means test the Winter Fuel Payment, the Prime Minister said he was willing to be unpopular to change the country and “fix the foundations” of the economy.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the universal payment would come to an end when she laid out measures to tackle a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.

Some 10 million pensioners are expected to lose out on winter fuel payments of up to £300, by only paying out to those people in receipt of pension credit.

“It is not easy and no Prime Minister wants to take a decision like this,” Sir Keir said.

“The Winter Fuel Payments are now to be targeted, they were untargeted before and I think everyone thought that wasn’t a particularly good system. Obviously those most in need will continue to get the payment.”

Sir Keir admitted: “We’re going to have to be unpopular, tough decisions are tough decisions. Popular decisions aren’t tough, they’re easy.”

The new Prime Minister accused the previous government of running away from difficult decisions, adding: “I’m convinced that because they ran away from difficult decisions we haven’t got the change we need for the country.”

Sir Keir appeared to confirm reports that the state pension will rise more than £400 under the triple lock due to strong wage growth.

He guaranteed “for the state pension that the increase under this government will outstrip any reduction in the winter fuel payment”.

The BBC previously reported that the Treasury’s internal working calculations showed changes would take the full state pension to around £12,000 in 2025/26, after the £900 increase in 2023.

Pre-2016 retirees who may be eligible for the secondary state pension could see a £300 per year increase.

Under the triple lock system, the state pension rises each April in line with the highest out of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation in September the previous year; average earnings growth in the year from May to July of the previous year; or 2.5 per cent.

The most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that CPI inflation was 2.2 per cent in the 12 months to July 2024. Prices are rising at a slower rate than in 2022 and 2023, when households and businesses were being squeezed during the peak of the cost-of-living crisis.

With inflation running at a more subdued level, the measure of wage growth could deliver the reported £400 boost.

Pensioners have already said they feel let down and betrayed by the new Labour government over the Winter Fuel Payment cut.

National Pensioners Convention general secretary Jan Shortt told the Yorkshire Post: “It will put more pressure on an already burdened NHS and people will die, as they do every winter, because they can’t afford to heat their home.”

Sir Keir refused to say whether Labour MPs who voted against the cut on Tuesday will be suspended or have the whip stripped.

York Central’s Rachael Maskell has said she couldn’t vote for the measure, adding: “I will do anything to protect life.”

Ms Maskell and nine other Labour MPs have signed an early day motion which expresses concern that the changes have been made without “prior consultation or an impact assessment”.

The Prime Minister said: “I’m glad we’re having a vote because I think it’s important for Parliament to speak on this.

“But every Labour MP was elected on the same mandate as I was - to deliver the change we need for the country over the time we’ve got in office.

“I am absolutely convinced that we will only deliver that change if we do the difficult things now.”

The government appears to have set a precedent for whipping such votes, with the six-month suspensions for MPs over the two-child benefit cap.