Labour warns of more 'bumps in the road' on top of local elections disaster

Wes Streeting has defended Labour's "unpopular" winter fuel payments decision and warned of more "bumps in the road" over the coming years. The Health Secretary insisted scrapping winter fuel payments for 11million pensioners and hiking employers' National Insurance contributions were "necessary" to "rescue" public services.

Speaking after Labour's ballot box drubbing, Mr Streeting sidestepped questions of whether the Government is considering a partial U-turn on winter fuel payments, insisting only that "I wouldn't be close to those sorts of discussions at this stage". Downing Street is said to be rethinking its controversial winter fuel payment cut amid growing fears it could hammer Labour's chances of winning the next election, The Guardian reported. While a full reversal of the cut is not expected, No 10 sources said they were considering whether to increase the £11,500 threshold above which pensioners are no longer eligible for the allowance.

Mr Streeting told Sky News he did support the decision to cut winter fuel payments.

But he revealed: "We're always listening and we're always looking at how the policies we are enacting, how they make a difference.

"I dare say, over the coming years, there will be bumps in the road. We're going to make mistakes. That's just the nature of life, let alone politics.

"I think the thing that we are all conscious of in Government and genuinely impatient for is to make sure people are feeling the change. And we've only been in what, nine months now, less than a year, and it means that some of the change that's already started, people won't necessarily be feeling it yet."

He told Times Radio: "The reason why we chose to target winter fuel allowance at the poorest pensioners and remove it for others and the reason why we took the decision on employers' NICs and on tax breaks for private schools and on non-doms is because we needed to rescue our public services from the depths of the crises they are in."

He added: "Sometimes you do, in government, have to make unpopular decisions in pursuit of the outcomes you want to see.

"And we've made unpopular decisions, knowing they might be unpopular, because we genuinely believe they were the right decisions for the country."

Labour lost nearly two-thirds of the seats it was defending, with Reform taking control of Durham County Council, in Labour's Red Wall North-east heartland, and winning the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, a seat previously held by Sir Keir's party.

MPs and other senior party figures say voters were furious with the decision to remove the winter fuel subsidy from 10million pensioners and told them so on the doorstep.

One Labour MP said the party won last year's general election by focusing on the cost of living, but then made the problem worse for elderly people once in government.

Highlighting winter fuel payments and the removal of disability benefit Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from some claimants, the MP said: "Reinstating winter fuel and revisiting PIP changes are the minimum that must be done if we want to prevent a Reform wipeout."

The MP told the Financial Times: "That would be a very tough sell anyway but when coupled with countless millions the Government can find to house young men arriving on boats every day, it is unsustainable to say we just can't afford the winter fuel payment or PIP."

Changes announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves stripped more than nine million pensioners of the right to receive winter fuel payments of up to £300. Only those receiving benefits such as Pension Credit are now eligible.

It means single people with an annual income above £11,344, or couples with a combined income of £17,314, are considered too wealthy to need the payments, although there can be exceptions for carers or people with severe disabilities.

In addition, around 700,000 people entitled to Pension Credit do not claim it, meaning they miss out on winter fuel payments too.

The Government has admitted the decision will force up to 100,000 additional people into relative poverty.