Government ‘picking pockets of pensioners’ by cutting winter fuel payments, says Unite boss
Firebrand union leader Sharon Graham has told Sky News that Chancellor Rachel Reeves is guilty of “picking the pockets of pensioners” by cutting winter fuel payments.
The leader of the Unite union was speaking on the opening day of the TUC conference in Brighton, where she spearheaded demands for a wealth tax on millionaires to fund restoring the winter cash for pensioners.
“Britain is in crisis, and we need to make very, very different choices,” said Ms Graham.
“We’re calling on Labour not to pick the pockets of pensioners, but to have a wealth tax on the biggest and richest 1% in society.”
She said her proposal would create £25 billion, more than enough to fill the £22 billion “black hole” blamed by the chancellor and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for the cuts.
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“Job’s done, let’s move on and change society,” she added.
“We’re calling for the government to think again. This issue isn’t going to go away. We’re coming up to winter. People are going to be freezing cold.
“You’re going to have older people not wanting to put on their heat.”
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Streeting ‘not happy’ about winter fuel cut
14 years of ‘queueing for a pay rise’
On unions’ calls for pay to be restored to 2010 levels, Ms Graham said: “Workers and communities have been back of the queue for over 14 years. They’ve been right at the back of the queue. They’ve had pay freezes.
“They haven’t had pay rises in line with inflation. And the inflation is baked in. So while inflation is going up more slowly, those prices are still baked in.
“And what we’re saying, as the union movement, is that workers need to be paid properly and that is something that we should be proud of.
“We should be proud to say that workers should be paid properly. And that’s what I’m pushing for.”
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Google said that advertisers who want to promote crypto exchanges and software wallets in the United Kingdom must be registered with the FCA.
Politics
Trump campaign co-manager calls Lord Peter Mandelson an ‘absolute moron’ as peer is confirmed as Starmer’s new US ambassador
The co-manager for Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has called Lord Mandelson an “absolute moron” – as the peer was officially announced as the next UK ambassador to the US.
The Labour grandee, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets, will become the UK’s top diplomat in Washington as president-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January.
In a post on X, Chris LaCivita linked to an article in The Daily Telegraph which reported on Lord Mandelson describing Mr Trump as “a danger to the world”.
The peer also described Mr Trump as “little short of a white nationalist and racist” during an interview with an Italian journalist in 2019, according to the newspaper.
In the post on X, Mr LaCivita said: “This UK govt is special replace a professional universally respected Ambo with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD!”
He added: “Mandelson described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist’.”
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the appointment of Lord Mandelson to the post.
The 71-year-old said: “We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.”
The prime minister said: “The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.”
Analysis:
Lord Mandelson’s trade background key to pivotal role
Return of ‘Prince of Darkness’ will leave Labour lefties furious
Chris LaCivita, co-manager of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir also thanked outgoing US ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, who will leave the post at the beginning of next year.
“I would also like to thank Dame Karen Pierce for her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July,” he said.
“She made history as the first woman to serve as UK ambassador to the US and she has been an outstanding representative of our country abroad. I wish her all the very best in future.”
Lord Mandelson was one of the key architects of New Labour and helped the party return to power in the 1990s.
He served as Sir Tony’s trade secretary and Northern Ireland secretary before standing down as an MP in 2004 to become a European Commissioner.
After Mr Brown awarded him a peerage in 2008 Lord Mandelson returned to government as business secretary.
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