Sir Keir Starmer faces party backlash on decision to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners

SIR Keir Starmer faces a party backlash on the decision to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners.

It comes as Labour MPs fear his gloomy warnings on the economy threaten growth.

As MPs returned to Westminster after the summer break yesterday, the first Labour MP went public to demand the PM rethinks axing winter fuel handouts to millions.

New backbencher Neil Duncan-Jordan said the move failed to take account of the modest incomes of those just above the pension credit threshold.

He also argued that there has not been sufficient time to put in place an effective campaign for the elderly to claim pension credit — which can be worth up to £3,900 a year.

His plea to restore payouts of up to £300 for the over-66s comes as a party grandee said Sir Keir was being too gloomy ahead of October’s Budget.

He also warned there is also a 10 per cent hike in the energy price cap from October to contend with.

The former Labour Cabinet minister told The Sun that weeks of speeches about how bad the economy was risked denting business confidence in the UK.

They added: “People understand times are tough and will accept the pain, but only if you level with them about what the pain is for.”

But Sir Keir told BBC 5 Live: “We made it really clear going into the election that we would deliver change.

“We will not be able to do that if we don’t do tough stuff now.”

Duncan-Jordan also called for a delay on the policy until there was a “comprehensive strategy aimed at tackling fuel poverty, health inequalities and low incomes among older people”.