Carol Vorderman calls for apology from Sir Keir Starmer over winter fuel cut

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2024

admin

Presenter and author Carol Vorderman has called on the prime minister to apologise over cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners.

The controversial policy was approved by parliament today, despite a number of Labour MPs abstaining from the vote, with ministers saying “tough decisions” were needed to fix the public finances.

But it was widely criticised by opposition MPs and campaigners, who warned the move would leave millions of pensioners worrying over how to make ends meet.

Politics live: Mel Stride eliminated from Tory leadership race

Speaking to Sky News’ Politics Hub show with Sophy Ridge, Vorderman said Labour’s decision to pursue the cut was “astonishing”.

Asked by Sophy what Sir Keir Starmer should now do, she said: “I think he should apologise. I absolutely do.”

The broadcaster, famed for her stint on Channel 4 gameshow Countdown, has become more vocal about her politics in recent years, and in the run-up to July’s general election gave her backing to a tactical voting website designed to “stop the Tories”.

She said: “I was following intently the build-up to the election and we had just under two million postcodes typed in [to the website]… we know it had an influence.

“And millions of people loaned their vote to Labour in the belief that finally this gross inequality that has grown over the last 14 years would be diminished somewhat.

“And then this [cutting the winter fuel allowance] is the first thing.”

Vorderman said she understood why ministers would want to take the payment – worth up to £300 – from wealthy pensioners who got the money regardless of their income.

“I’ll be one of those in two years time”, she added. ” So I wouldn’t need the winter fuel allowance payment.

“But to go from 12 million to less than two million pensioners receiving it is just way too low.

“And I’m shocked by it, because they could raise that money in so many other ways.”

Asked by Sophy if she believed the government had “duped” the public ahead of them getting into power, she said: “I do, I really do. And I am shocked because, even extracting the fact that many pensioners will be suffering because of it… it is unbelievable that this new Labour government the first thing they do is that?

“It is not, I don’t believe, what they were voted in to do, it is quite astonishing really.”

When this was put to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, he told Sophy: “We had a mandate [at the election] to get a grip of the public finances, and what we didn’t know in opposition – what the public didn’t know – was that the Conservatives had hidden the facts that there was £22bn of bills coming this year they’d put no money aside for.

“That’s the running of our health service, our GP services, our schools, our police. It is our responsibility, because we are trusted on the economy, with people’s money, to be able to find the money to pay those bills, to keep our public services running to order.

“That’s about resetting the budget so that at the Labour Budget on 30 October, we can start to invest in fixing the foundations and then start to deliver on our manifesto to rebuild Britain.”

The full interview will air on Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge tonight at 7pm.

UK

Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Published

31 mins ago

November 23, 2024

admin

Gatwick Airport: Police release two people who were detained amid security incident as South Terminal reopens

Two people detained during a security incident at Gatwick Airport have been allowed to continue their journeys after a suspect package saw a “large part” of the South Terminal evacuated.

The terminal was closed for hours after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item” in a passenger’s luggage sparked an emergency response. It reopened at around 3.45pm.

Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team “made the package safe” before handing the airport back to its operator, Sussex Police said.

Their statement continued: “Two people who were detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.

“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”

The force also thanked the public and airport staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

Earlier the airport, which is the UK’s second busiest, said the terminal was evacuated after a “security incident”.

“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” it later said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

“The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.”

Gatwick said some flights were cancelled while others were delayed.

It said passengers should contact their airlines for any updates on flights.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of travellers heading away from the terminal building.

“Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out they’re evacuating the entire airport,” one passenger said.

“Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down,” another passenger added, who said “thousands” of people were forced to leave.

Another passenger said people near the gates were being told to stay there and not go back to the departure lounge.

People outside the airport were handed blankets and water, passengers told Sky News.

The airport said its North Terminal was still operating normally.

Gatwick Express said its trains did not call at Gatwick Airport during the police response, but the airport said trains would start calling there again once the terminal was fully reopened.

More than 600 flights were due to take off or land at Gatwick on Friday, amounting to more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

UK

Starmer says UK will ‘set out a path’ to raise defence spending to 2.5%

Published

4 hours ago

November 23, 2024

admin

Starmer says UK will 'set out a path' to raise defence spending to 2.5%

The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.

Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.

There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.

Ukraine war latest: Follow live updates

A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.

They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.

“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”

The defence review will also be published in the spring.

While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.

They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.