Sir Keir Starmer came under attack at Prime Minister’s Questions from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party over cuts to winter fuel payments and net zero reforms.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch accused the PM of being ‘on another planet’ over the Government’s controversial net zero drive.
But Sir Keir branded her a “climate defeatist”.
Mrs Badenoch was first to raise winter fuel payment cuts, saying her party “wouldn’t balance (the public finances) on the back of pensioners”.
Opening their weekly exchange, she said: “Does the Prime Minister now admit that he was wrong to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners?”
The Prime Minister replied: “The number one job of this Government was to put our finances back in order after the last government lost control. That is to deal with the £22 billion black hole that they left.”
But Mrs Badenoch hit back, saying: “The only black hole is the one the Prime Minister is digging.
“This issue affects some of the poorest and most vulnerable pensioners. His mayor in Doncaster says it’s wrong. His First Minister in Wales says it’s wrong. Even his own MPs are saying it’s wrong. He’s refused to listen to me on this, will he at least listen to his own party and change course?”
Sir Keir responded: “All the parties opposite would take this country back to where it was a few years ago. Broken public finances, interest rates through the roof, NHS waiting lists at all time high, because no other party in this House is prepared to say how they would put the finances straight.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has admitted the winter fuel payment cuts, for some ten million pensioners not on pension credit or similar benefits, was a “massive” issue in the May 1 elections which saw Nigel Farage’s Reform UK win 677 council seats and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, and the Tories and Labour suffer heavy losses.
But Mrs Badenoch, who highlighted Tony Blair’s warnings against the drive to net zero, then accused the PM of breaking “his promise to cut energy bills by £300”
Branding the Tory leader a “climate defeatist”, Sir Keir replied: “The way to bring energy bills down for good is to deliver cheap, clean, homegrown energy.
“But what won’t bring energy bills down is the leader of the Opposition’s policy leaving us hooked on fossil fuels, at the mercy of dictators like Putin.”
But the Tory leader rejected his arguments, stressing: “We have the second highest amount of renewables on the grid in Europe and yet we still have the highest energy bills.
"The truth is, the Prime Minister is on another planet. His net zero plans mean ever-more expensive energy.
Sir Keir replied: “Energy bills on fossil fuel have fluctuated massively in the last three years because we’re exposed to the international market.
“The only way to get bills down is to go to renewable energy.”
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey emphasised: “Among the messages voters sent ministers last week, one stood out: bring back the winter fuel payment for millions of struggling pensioners.
“So people will be disappointed the Prime Minister failed to do that today.”
SNP leader Stephen Flynn then raised “rising” energy bills and the threatened loss of 250 North Sea jobs which he blamed on the Labour government’s policies.
