SIR Keir Starmer last night defended his decision to strip ten million pensioners of winter fuel payments, saying the savings would help “fix” the economy.
The Prime Minister insisted he was being “honest” about the tough choices facing the country, while accusing the SNP of “walking past” them.
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Sir Keir is facing the biggest rebellion of his premiership as up to 50 rebels threaten not to vote with the government in a Commons showdown today.
But he and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have refused to water down their plan — as unions accuse them of “picking the pockets of pensioners”.
Sir Keir said: “We can’t secure and fix the economy if we can’t get our transport systems working, if we don’t have our health systems working.
“If you’re asking whether I recognise it’s a tough decision, I absolutely recognise the tough decision.
“If you’re asking me would I want to stand here as Prime Minister and make this decision the answer is no.”
The £1.5billion raid will see the £200-£300 benefit previously paid to all over-65s restricted to those on pension credit only.
SNP ministers have delayed their plans to replace the handout with a new devolved benefit called the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.
But they warn they will also have to means-test OAPs when it kicks in, as Labour’s move means they will lose most of the money expected to come to Holyrood for it.
Sir Keir said he had not wanted to inherit a £22billion black hole in the UK’s finances before the General Election but would not “walk past it”.
The PM added: “I’ve spent four years saying we’re not going to do short term decisions or pretend problems aren’t there.
“We’re not going to baulk at the first hurdle and pretend this is not there and can be dealt in some other way, or push it off for several years, otherwise we’re not going to have the stable economy we need.
“But that doesn’t mean that I’m immune from the difficulty and hardship — of course I’m not”
The UK Labour leader also blasted the SNP’s handling of public finances and accused them of avoiding the difficult decisions he is taking.
He said: “We could pretend it didn’t exist. We could walk past it. We could put it into the long grass.
“All of that was done by the last government and is still being done in its equivalent form, by the SNP.
“Or we could be honest about it, say that requires us to make tough decisions.”
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Critics say the winter fuel payment cut unfairly targets the elderly and will have litle impact on balancing the books.
Age UK warn that up to two million pensioners “who badly need the money to stay warm this winter will not receive it”.
