COLUMN: Don’t take away our Winter Fuel support

John Milne MP meeting with Parish Councillors Suzy Hamblin-Boone and Rachel Richards in Partridge Green

By John Milne MP as printed in the Thursday, 5 September 2024, print edition of the West Sussex County Times.

The government’s announcement that it intends to cut Winter Fuel Payments for all but the lowest income pensioners has caused widespread alarm. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey calls it “the first big mistake this government has made” and I agree with him. Along with my colleagues, I’ve signed an Early Day Motion calling for a rethink.

Yes, it’s true to say that not every pensioner depends on it. But if that’s the problem, the Chancellor would do better to make the extra income from the allowance taxable, rather than simply cutting it altogether for 10 million people. The pressure for Rachel Reeves to reconsider is building and at this point I’m optimistic she can be persuaded to at least moderate her plans.

This week also sees publication of the final report into the Grenfell Tower disaster, in which 72 people tragically lost their lives. The report gives us a long catalogue of individual and corporate failings, although it will be another 2 years before we hear if it results in actual prosecutions.

The fundamental cause of the disaster however was not human error. This was above all a failure of regulation. Suppliers failed to observe the rules because the rules themselves were both badly written and haphazardly enforced. This was literally an accident waiting to happen - and there were any number of warnings to that effect from select committees and elsewhere.

Meanwhile, residents of Partridge Green are up in arms over the new timetable for the No 17 bus, which started this week. They were told it would bring them improved half hourly frequencies and the restoration of a Sunday service. But it turns out that was only for everyone else on the route. Far from gaining, Partridge Green now has no direct buses to Horsham at all in the day.

What’s really surprising is the complete lack of public consultation. When the plan was announced at WSCC full council, we only got to hear the positive side of the story. I have written to WSCC Highways and I hope they will reconsider this decision and look for a different solution for Partridge Green, where many residents will struggle to access local schools and medical appointments.