Unite furious at timing of Winter Fuel Allowance vote at Labour Conference

“Right now it is fair to say that the Labour leaders have tried to silence the voice of pensioners, workers and communities”

The row over the government’s decision to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance continues to rumble on. Following the news that trade unions, including Unite, intended to submit a motion to the Labour Party Conference, those same unions are furious about the decision to push the vote on that motion to the end of the conference.

Sharon Graham – the general secretary of Unite – accused the Labour leadership of trying to ‘silence the voice of pensions, workers and communities’. She tweeted: “Right now it is fair to say that the Labour leaders have tried to silence the voice of pensioners, workers and communities at party conference in this blatant manoeuvre to block debate on winter fuel cuts and the departure towards Austerity Mark 2. When this becomes widely known there will be real anger among everyday people. Real Anger.”

Moving the vote to the end of the conference means that fewer delegates will be present for it, as most of the set piece speeches will already have taken place and many delegates will have gone home.

As a result, the Communication Workers’ Union is said to be concerned that the motion will fall off the agenda all together.

The announcement of the late timing of the vote was met with boos from some delegates at the conference.

The decision to make cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance has hung over the conference, with the chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves using her speech to defend the decision. She called it “the right decision in the circumstances that we inherited”.

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward

Image credit: Garry Knight – Creative Commons