Health Secretary Wes Streeting faced tough questioning on Sky News as he was confronted with a graph putting Labour’s £22bn ‘black hole’ claim into perspective. Labour has argued that the financial gap, left by the previous Conservative government, is the reason behind its controversial plan to reduce winter fuel payments for pensioners—a move that could leave around 10 million elderly people worse off.
During the interview, Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips presented Streeting with a chart showing the £22bn deficit in comparison to the government’s total spending of £1,226bn. Phillips challenged Streeting, suggesting that the deficit was not as insurmountable as Labour has claimed. “The £22bn black hole – it’s not the biggest thing in the world that you have to face, is it?” Phillips asked.
Streeting defended the government’s position, sarcastically responding, “Oh, let’s just go on spending more than we’ve got,” and blamed the previous Conservative government for mismanaging public finances. However, Phillips redirected the conversation, urging Streeting to focus on Labour’s own decisions, including the unpopular plan to restrict winter fuel payments.
The government is set to vote on the proposal next week, which has sparked a potential rebellion among some Labour MPs. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to confirm whether those who oppose the plan could face suspension from the party.
Streeting acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, calling it a “tough choice” but necessary to address the financial mess left by the Conservatives. He stressed the importance of making hard decisions now to avoid future financial disasters, adding, “Whether it’s pensioners or anyone else, they won’t forgive us if we duck the difficult decisions now.”
The House of Lords scrutiny committee recently suggested that the winter fuel allowance cut could be delayed, adding further pressure on the government as it faces growing backlash over the policy.
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