Pensioners will face a “bitter winter” if a cut to fuel payments goes ahead, Labour MPs have been warned ahead of a crunch vote in the House of Commons tomorrow. 

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, has laid down a political challenge to Labour’s 37 Scottish MPs to vote against the cut. 

Mr Flynn said in a letter to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar that Sir Keir Starmer had made a “political choice” to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners. 

He argued the Government “doesn’t need to wield the axe and make these cuts” and urged Labour MPs to “do the right thing” and vote against the policy. 

He said: “The last UK government hammered the economy, public services and household incomes by imposing fourteen years of cuts and Brexit. The last thing the UK needs now is more cuts from the Labour Party - and pensioners will face a bitter winter if these cuts go ahead.”

Sir Keir’s huge majority in the Commons means the policy will almost certainly go ahead but numerous Labour MPs have spoken out against the move as the Prime Minister faces the threat of a rebellion. 

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