Political commentator Christian Calgie has launched a scathing attack on Keir Starmer's handling of winter fuel payments, claiming that "thousands of elderly people will have died this winter" due to the policy.
His comments come as the Prime Minister signalled a U-turn on the controversial cuts to the winter fuel allowance.
Starmer has confirmed he will reassess the unpopular winter fuel policy that has caused significant backlash among Labour MPs.
Speaking about this on GB News, Calgie said: "I don't think Keir Starmer really has a view on the economy and that's the problem. In fact, Keir Starmer doesn't have strong views on many things.
Christian Calgie blasted the U-turn
GB NEWS
"He spent five years as Leader of the Opposition defining himself only by opposing what the Tories were doing.
"And now that the Tories are gone, he's sort of like a Catherine wheel that's come off the stick spinning around furiously, with no sense of direction. He doesn't know what he's doing.
"The problem for Labour and what really stands out to me is the sheer lack of a plan. And, you know, I don’t even fully blame them, because I get that people were sick of the Tories.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
"But the fact is, they managed to persuade a lot of people that they had a plan for the economy when they didn’t. They just kept talking about stability.
"The issue with that message was this: for all his faults, Rishi Sunak had brought the country back to stability. He got inflation down to two per cent .
"That’s why today we keep hearing Labour talk about Liz Truss because they want us to forget the real economic inheritance they received: two per cent inflation.
"The Bank of England was on course to cut interest rates before Labour came into power.
"And now they've landed themselves in a massive mess boxed in by completely made-up so-called fiscal rules created by Rachel Reeves, all because the financial markets are so jittery.
"But there’s another point and this one is just as serious. The problem with the winter fuel U-turn isn't just political; it's human.
"I have no doubt in my mind that potentially thousands of elderly people will have died this winter as a result of that decision.
"We don’t talk about it enough."
Speaking during PMQs earlier today, Starmer told MPs: "I recognise that people are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living crisis, including pensioners.
"As the economy improves, we want to make sure people feel those improvements in their days as their lives go forward."
He added: "That is why we want to ensure that as we go forward, more pensioners are eligible for winter fuel payment.
"As you would expect, Mr Speaker, we would only make decisions we can afford. That is why we will look at that as part of our fiscal event."
The Prime Minister was responding to a question from one of his own MPs
PAThe Prime Minister was responding to a question from one of his own MPs about protecting the savings of older people struggling with rising living costs.
The controversial policy has dramatically reduced the number of pensioners eligible for the winter fuel benefit from 11.4 million to just 1.5 million.
Under the changes implemented by the Labour government, payments were restricted to poorer households already receiving pension credit or other means-tested benefits.
The Treasury had hoped the measure would save around £1.3billion annually. However, the cut has proved hugely unpopular among voters.
