Graham Durham publicly calling for Brent MPs, Dawn Butler, Barry Gardiner and Georgia Gould, to vote to keep pensioners' Winter Fuel Allowance
Former Brent Labour councillor, Graham Durham, now a local National Pensioner Convention activist, has attacked his MP Dawn Butler for failing to oppose the cutting of the Winter Fuel allowance by the Labour government, and failing to respond to her constituents' concerns.
The cut has led to a storm of protests across the country. Many are predicting that the poorest pensioners will struggle to heat their homes this winter and over half a million people have signed an Age UK petition opposing the cut.
Unite the Union October 7th Lobby of Parliament
Graham Durham, aged 70, said:
It is sadly inevitable that some old people in Brent will die as a result of this cut if we have a cold winter. Over 3,000 poorer pensioners in Brent East are affected so it is very sad that Dawn Butler did not vote against the cut in Parliament.To add insult to injury Dawn Butler has failed to respond to constituents who wrote to her expressing concern over many months and failed to meet constituents when they joined the national lobby at the House of Commons on 7 October.We need our local MP to stand up for us and oppose this cruel cut.
Graham Durham will be speaking about his recently published novel, A Peal of Socialism, at Kilburn Library, Salusbury Road, NW6, tomorrow 11am-12. The novel is set in Kilburn, Cricklewood and Willesden.
28 comments:
Older people had colder houses traditionally. They’d use blankets or put on jumpers. Have they lost thet war spirit?
Hypothermia is caused by living in a cold house or flat ( NHS)
Why should they have to? Maybe they already do so and are still freezing to death?
It’s Labour’s 5 year Austerity project. If they die they cannot vote in 2029! So why worry?
Was not Graham Durham a Labour Councillor in Brent East and later kicked out during the anti Corbynista purge? At the last Council Meeting Labour Councillors (Kelcher - husband of Deputy Leader) supported means testing - so watch out - Freedom Pass, School Meals, NHS prescription charges etc etc easy target for further Labour Government attacks - so that the middle/upper classes get their income tax protected.
Patronising comment.
How many more pensioners will be admitted to hospital this winter as they can't afford to heat their homes???
Says here "When you’re cold, blood vessels narrow in your skin, fingers and toes, so less heat is lost. This narrowing (called vasoconstriction) causes:
- your blood pressure to go up;
- your heart rate to go up;
- your heart to work harder to pump blood around your body.
Cold weather can also cause your blood to get thicker and stickier, which in rare cases can lead to blood clots. This can increase your risk of a heart attack or stroke."
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/support/practical-support/will-cold-weather-affect-my-heart-condition#h1
What an offensive comment! These pensioners have worked hard all their lives paying 45 years of national insurance not the 30 years you pay now.
Why should over 60s get a free bus pass despite their income?
Hard to believe that a Labour government is doing this.
But is it a Labour government? Starmer's Party has rooted out Labour socialists, and has become a Conservative Party, while the party that bears that name is moving further to the right.
Carry on speaking out Graham!
Young people are told by the 60+ to just not buy so many lattes and avocados. Is there an equivalent here for these pensioners, who do have money in the banks, as the poorest pensioners still get a fuel allowance?
There is nothing wrong in having a debate about benefits, tax rates or even means testing. What is so objectionable about what the Labour Government did is the fact that while stating that they would not raise income tax and other taxes they did not warn anyone that they would take away the winter fuel allowance from most OAPs. An election is the opportunity to have that debate. It was dishonest of Starmer & Co not to raise this before polling day.
Anonymous at 18:35 asks why should over 60s get a free pass irrespective of their income. On the face of it a Fair question - but where does it end? Why should everyone get free NHS treatment? Why should children get free schooling? Why should NHS prescriptions be subsidised? Why should the Mayor of London use our taxes to provide free school meals for everyone? Why should means testing apply to one things and not to others? Why should a person pay taxes so that others receive a benefit?
Because they have paid taxes and national insurance all their lives to pay for these benefits!!!
Did the older people grow up in warm houses? Either those or their parents? Or grandparents? Put a jumper on.
Why should someone with a big pension get the same as someone barely scraping by? The idea is that those with broader shoulders should carry more of the load, so we can help those in real need. It's not about cutting support - it's about making it fairer. Labour’s still looking after the most vulnerable, as we should.
With the same selfish logic as "Anonymous10 October 2024 at 16:53" WHY should those without children have to pay towards maternity services, child allowance, free nursery places, children's education from 4 to 18, free school meals, free transport for kids, free health care and eye tests for kids etc, etc, etc??? Can I claim all of those costs back please from all the taxes and national insurance I have paid whilst working full time - adding up to 47 years of contributions???
Please remembe that not all pensioners are wealthy and majority have worked hard for years paying tax and national insurance towards all kinds of benefits that others readily accept!!!
If that is what Labour are doing - as Anonymous at 16.53 claims - then I repeat. If that is what Labour intended to do why not say so before the election? After all was Starmer not promoting Labour as delivering new style of honest politics?
Yes, on the same selfish basis...
- why should people who don't own a car pay towards parking enforcement and traffic wardens?
- why should those who've worked hard, sacrificing luxuries like holidays and nights out to save up and buy their own place subsidise those in council housing?
- why should people who would rather take multiple low paid jobs than claim unemployment money or other benefits pay towards the cost of running these services?
The list is endless!
Please, we are all in this together - there may be some pensioners who are slightly better off but then they'll end up paying £2000 per week towards their care - those pensioners who are struggling will instead have their care paid for by us fellow tax payers.
Is this Liberal Democrat party learning since the tuition fees policy, which you’re trying to impart to Labour now? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDjRZ30SNo
To "Paul Lorber10 October 2024 at 22:49" - If they'd told us what they were going to do they wouldn't have been elected by anyone.
Even the Labour supporting unions are totally against cutting the winter fuel allowance!!!
To "Anonymous11 October 2024 at 00:00" people choose to go to university it is not an option suitable for everyone.
None of my nieces and nephews went to university? They instead went out to work at 18 and have worked themselves up, studying whilst working full time - they now have company director level jobs in fields like human resources and international telecommunications.
They didn’t pay taxes to get a london bus pass. Think of all the people across the country who also pay taxes but dont get to make use of a tfl bus pass. It is ridiculous
Pensioners all around the country get free bus travel including in London.
Our friend has been caring for her elderly mother for years without claiming any assistance from the government - but now the winter fuel allowance has been taken away, losing them £300 each, her mother will make a point of claiming attendance allowance of around £65 per week or around £3,380 per year.
So the government will be paying out around £2,780 more per year to just this one family. How many others will follow suit?
Good
Indeed - clearly it'll screw Labour's cost cutting on winter fuel payments through all these extra claims and the cost of the admin to process them.
Labour should be going after the freebie receiving wealthy types!
Mayor of London got freebies to see Taylor Swift as a 'thank you for a delivering a successful champions league final' so effectively a bonus for doing his job - everyone else we know has to pay tax on their bonuses so why doesn't he???
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