Dear Kevin Bonavia MP,
We are the former Conservative Parliamentary Candidate and current Borough, District and County Councillors for the Stevenage constituency. We are extremely concerned by the Chancellor’s announcement that the Winter Fuel Payment would no longer be universal, and that only pensioners claiming Pension Credit would get this crucial payment that helps fund their winter heating bills- this coming just a few months before a cold winter sets in.
From an estimate basked on gov.uk data and Channel 4 FactCheck analysis, over 10,000 pensioner households in Stevenage, Knebworth, Codicote, Datchworth and Aston are at risk of losing their winter fuel allowance. With just over 16% of the constituency’s population being pensioners, it is estimated that 88% of these will lose their allowance.
We collectively felt this was a cold-hearted and callous decision being taken by this new Labour Government- Stevenage pensioners are going to be cold this year because of Labour Party policy. The same Labour Party that in 2017 predicted by its own analysis there could be as many as 4,000 deaths nationally should the Winter Fuel Allonce be cut.
Many pensioners have worked incredibly hard all their lives and have saved modest amounts for their retirement. This policy is going to hit these pensioners like a sledgehammer at the worst possible time, and it is grossly unfair too when they see huge public sector ‘no-strings’ pay I creases, such as 15% more train divers which will see their average salaries rise from £60,000 to £67,000.
Today was the day of the debate, a debate that the Prime Minister of course did not want to have, but thanks to Conservative pressure, Parliament had its say. Several of your Labour Party colleagues signed an Early Day Motion submitted by Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan asking for the change to be reconsidered, and todays Conservative motion to strike down the move entirely was predictable defeated, but with 54 Labour MPs voting for or abstaining from the motion.
You though, were not one of them. Instead, you voted to ‘target’ Stevenage pensioners, in your own words.
Labour blow £8 billion on GB Energy, whilst saving only £1.3 billion with this cruel move
Labour blow £11.6 billion in overseas climate aid, whilst saving only £1.3 billion with this cruel move
Labour schmooze up to their union paymasters, whilst robbing 10 million pensioners
Your old boss Jeremy Corbyn said today: “Austerity is Labour’s choice”. For the first time ever, we agree with Jeremy! Because your new boss Keri Starmer did make a choice. He chose train drivers over pensioners. So did you. We stand instead with the pensioners of Stevenage, Knebworth, Codicote, Datchworth and Aston.
Signed
Mr Alex Clarkson (Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Stevenage 2024)
Cllr Phil Bibby CC (Woodfield Ward and St Nicholas County Division)
Cllr Ken Crofton CC (Hertford Rural County Division)
Cllr Tom Deffley (Aston, Datchworth and Walkern)
Cllr Graham Lawrence CC (Old Stevenage County Division)
Cllr Adam Mitchell CC (Broadwater County Division)
Cllr Tony Stowe (Aston, Datchworth and Walkern)
Cllr Richard Thake CC (Knebworth and Codicote County Division)
