Jonathan Reynolds says ‘the nature of what we’ve inherited required immediate decisions’, as MPs set to vote on means-testing paymentsAt the TUC conference yesterday Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the RMT transport secretary, warned that Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, was at risk of being a Grinch because of her spending cuts. He asked:Why do you want to get off on the wrong foot in the first budget by appearing to be the Grinch at Christmas?I really don’t think that is fair in any way … the first line of the Labour manifesto was, you can trust us with the public finances, even when it is difficult, and people can.I can guarantee we’re doing everything we can to make sure that not only the state pension is higher and everyone is better off but that support is targeted where it needs to be.No. We are making sure, first of all, that we can reassure people by saying that the state pension this year is higher than last winter, and energy bills are lower than last winter, and our commitment to the triple lock means that throughout this parliament pensions will be better off. [See 9.17am.]And also, alongside that, we’re targeting support at the people who need it the most, not just making sure people who are eligible for pension credit continue to receive winter fuel payments, but the people who are eligible for pension credit itself, and they’re not getting it, are going to get it under our plans to drive that up. Continue reading...
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