The Labour government’s U-turn on their deeply unpopular cuts to the winter fuel payments leads much of the newspapers. The government has said more pensioners will now be in line to receive the payment again but stopped short of explaining the new eligibility criteria. The chancellor did confirm those who will be eligible will receive their payment by this winter.
The government has confirmed that more people will qualify for the winter fuel payment this year, in a U-turn on one of Labour’s first controversial policies. Chancellor Rachel Reeves stated the increased eligibility will be in place “this winter,” though specific details on the new threshold and who qualifies remain vague.
Most of Thursday’s UK newspaper front pages lead with the U-turn on the winter fuel payment cuts. Last year the government announced changes to the benefit which saw more than nine million pensioners lose out on payments worth up to £300 – after the eligibility threshold was tightened.
Good morning! Grab your coffee and let’s take a brisk scroll through today’s headlines…
In politics, Sir Keir Starmer has bowed to pressure and announced a U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts. The scheme, which had been scaled back to save £1.4 billion, left over 10 million pensioners without support. Starmer now says more pensioners will qualify again, with changes expected in the autumn Budget – though the exact numbers and timing are still under wraps. It comes after Labour lost big to Reform UK during recent local elections.
Meanwhile, a government-commissioned review has suggested that prisoners should serve only a third of their sentences in custody, rather than the current half. There are proposals to chemically castrate sex offenders in order to release them earlier in a bid to free up spaces in prisons.
In economic news, the UK government’s borrowing reached £20.2 billion in April, surpassing expectations and placing additional pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
After lots of glorious sunshine, the UK is set to experience a shift in weather just in time for the bank holiday weekend. The Met Office forecasts unsettled conditions, with many areas expecting rain or showers and more unpredictable weather patterns continuing into the half-term week.
Elsewhere, the UK government has been temporarily blocked from finalising a landmark deal to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, following a late-night injunction granted by the High Court.
In sport, underdogs are stealing the spotlight. Crystal Palace shocked football fans by beating Manchester City 1–0 to lift the FA Cup – their first major trophy. Not to be outdone, Spurs ended their 17-year silverware drought with a scrappy 1–0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final, with Brennan Johnson the unlikely hero.
On the international front, there has been a shooting in the US with two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
The WHO has said Gaza’s health service is ‘stretched beyond breaking point’ and Donald Trump held a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa – in which the US president ambushed his counterpart with unfounded claims of genocide against white South Africans.
Sir Keir Starmer has announced a U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts, following weeks of political pressure.
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Labour is facing internal chaos over its refusal to U-turn on the winter fuel cuts – which many believe played a huge role in Labour’s losses during last week’s local elections in England.
Red Wall Labour MPs are urging the government to reinstate winter fuel payments, citing significant voter concern highlighted during local elections.
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The government says it will not reverse cuts to winter fuel payments despite the measure causing turmoil in the party. Since last week’s local election losses for Labour (and huge gains for Reform), there have been growing calls within the party for the cuts to be abandoned.
Labour changes to the winter fuel payment continue to prove divisive Pensioners ‘missing meals’ after Labour’s winter fuel payment changes Thousands of pensioners are missing…
Reeves to ignore funding options to tax on wealth above £10m and instead will go ahead and cut winter fuel payments, following a cross-party proposal by MPs who urged Rachel Reeves to impose 2% tax on wealth above £10m, having been lobbied by the banks.
A pensioner is set to miss out on winter fuel help this year because she is just £3.32 above the weekly threshold for support. Lynne…
Shock analysis shows four in every five pensioners struggling with money will see winter fuel payment cut Four in every five pensioners living below or…
Wednesday’s front pages feature a few leads with several papers focusing on the early release of prisoners in England and Wales. Many of those papers are traditionally right-leaning and see the early release as a ‘day of shame’ for the country and most feature images of men celebrating their release.
The Commons vote on cutting winter fuel payments is picked up by many other publications. The traditional left-leaning newspapers suggest the public move on from the fuel payments and instead focus on supporting the government in its plans to fix public services.
A few international stories make the broadsheet front pages as US President Joe Biden is reportedly weighing up whether Ukraine can use American long-range missiles in Russia.
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