Labor MP Graham Stringer criticized the government’s winter fuel payment policy and its communications strategy in recent comments to GB News.
Manchester Blackley MP argued that there appeared to be a lack of integration between policy decisions and how they were communicated to the public.
“It doesn’t seem to me at the center of government that there is any kind of integration between the two sides. This is the policy and this is how we communicate it,” Stringer said.
He expressed concern that potential pitfalls of the policy were not addressed before implementation.
Labor MP Graham Stringer said it was “bad policy that is very poorly explained”.
GB News
He highlighted the winter fuel payment as an example of “bad policy explained very badly” and said the government had “ridiculous justifications” for the move.
Mr Stringer dismissed the government’s justification for the payment changes as “utter nonsense”.
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He said: “These poor old ministers were kicked out and told that if we didn’t do something, the market would collapse. Well, it was total nonsense and nonsense.”
Labor MPs highlighted that winter fuel payments account for less than 0.2% of total public spending.
He argued that while the market would not notice the policy change, pensioners definitely would.
Mr Stringer called for stronger leadership from the Prime Minister to address these issues.
MPs claimed only Keir Starmer could solve this
P.A.
He said: “Only the prime minister can solve it. The problem is not about this office or that office or this official. There has to be central direction at the top.”
Mr Stringer’s criticism comes amid growing controversy over changes to the winter fuel payment system.
The government has faced a backlash for restricting eligibility, with only those receiving certain means-tested benefits now eligible.
According to recent reports, this decision leaves approximately 11 million pensioners without support.
Graham Stringer said the government had a “ridiculous justification” for the cuts
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Scottish pensioner couple Peter and Florence Fanning have launched a legal challenge to the UK Work and Pensions Secretary.
Fannings claims the government failed to carry out a proper equality impact assessment before implementing the changes.
Their lawsuit is backed by the Govan Law Center and, if successful, could delay the policy.
Savings expert Martin Lewis has suggested that a victory for Fannings could delay the changes by a year.
This means recipients will receive a benefit of between £200 and £300 in 2024.
