UK politics – live: Labour winter fuel vote rebels to face action as Starmer accused of hiding impact of cuts
Sir Keir faces calls to publish assessment amid anger at Labour’s decision to cut benefit for pensioners
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Labour will take action against those MPs who broke the whip by not backing the government’s cuts to the winter fuel payment, it’s been reported.
One MP, Jon Trickett, voted with the Conservative motion, while 12 additional members had unauthorised absences; in all 52 Labour MPs abstained from yesterday’s Commons vote on withdrawal of the universal benefit.
Those who failed to support the change will face action, Sky News reported.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak accused the prime minister of “repeatedly refusing to admit or to publish the consequences of his decision” to means-test the payments for pensioners.
In a fiery clash at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir’s predecessor in No 10 called on the Labour government to publish an impact assessment of the move, which will take the payment from all but the poorest pensioners.
The government has been accused of punishing pensioners but it insisted the proposed changes are needed to fill a £22 billion “black hole” in public finances left behind by previous Conservative governments.
Chancellor Racher Reeves said the government would not water down the decision, despite the revolt by Labour MPs and warnings about the effect on the elderly.
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Labour MPs claimed thousands for energy bills Winter Fuel Payment vote
Labour MPs claimed more than £400,000 of taxpayers’ money to heat their own homes over the last five years, as the party voted to cut Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners this month.
Official figures reveal how much members who claim expenses for their London accommodation have been awarded over time, with some taking thousands.
Read the full story below:
Labour MPs expensed over £400,000 for energy bills before axing winter fuel payments
MPs are able to pay for some energy bills using taxpayer money under the current expenses rules
Surveyors report rise in house prices for first time in nearly two years
House prices are showing signs of increasing for the first time in nearly two years as market activity picks up, according to surveyors.
Price growth moved into positive territory last month for the first time since October 2022, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said.
A net balance of one per cent of professionals reported prices rising rather than falling in August – and a balance of 14% expect a steady increase over the next three months.
Many lenders have made cuts to their mortgage rates in recent weeks, with the Bank of England also recently cutting the base rate.
August’s survey results also indicated a rise in the number of house hunters, with a net balance of 15% of professionals noticing an improvement in this survey indicator, up from a balance of 4% in July.
On the supply side, the number of new property listings has also shown an increase, with a balance of seven per cent of professionals seeing a rise in August, up from three per cent in July.
In the rental market, demand from tenants is continuing to rise, although the pace of growth has slowed compared with previous months, Rics said.
It added that the supply of rental properties remains sluggish, with new landlord instructions falling.
The ongoing shortage of rental properties is expected to keep pushing rents higher. A net balance of 39 per cent of professionals predict that rents will increase in the months ahead.
Rics chief economist, Simon Rubinsohn, said: “The latest Rics survey captures an improvement in sentiment over the past month in the wake of the modest decline in mortgage rates with buyer interest improving, albeit from a relatively low base, and stock levels edging up.
Starmer refuses to rule out scrapping pensioner council tax discount
Sir Keir Starmer has refused three times to say whether he will publish an impact assessment of his decision to withdraw winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
It came as the prime minister also failed to give a guarantee on continued support for pensioner discounts for council tax, telling MPs they will have to wait for the Budget on 30 October. During PMQs he refused to guarantee bus passes and discretionary travel would be protected but a spokesperson later confirmed they are safe.
Read the full story below:
Starmer refuses to rule out scrapping pensioner council tax discount
The prime minister came under pressure at PMQs over his decision to means test the winter fuel payments worth up to £300, and then refused to guarantee other pensioner benefits
Conservatives hit out at Labour over winter fuel decision
Electronic Travel Authorisation: What is new visa-free entry system?
The UK’s new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will apply to the vast majority of overseas arrivals – even those merely changing planes – by 2 April 2025.
The new government says: “Everyone wishing to travel to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance of coming here. This can be either through an Electronic Travel Authorisation or an eVisa.”
Our travel correspondent Simon Calder has the full story:
What is the new UK ETA visa-free entry system and how much does it cost?
Even transit passengers changing planes and staying airside must obtain the ETA – leading to fears that UK airlines will be hit
VOICES: Starmer’s won the winter fuel battle, for now...
The PM’s position is now stronger so he can now follow through with his strategy of things getting worse before they get better, writes John Rentoul:
Starmer’s won the winter fuel battle, for now...
The PM’s position is now stronger so he can now follow through with his strategy of things getting worse before they get better, writes John Rentoul
Watch: Starmer faces PMQs after MPs approve winter fuel payment cuts
Watch: Starmer faces Sunak at PMQs after MPs approve winter fuel payment cuts
Watch as Sir Keir Starmer faced Rishi Sunak at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, 11 September, following MPs’ approval of cuts to winter fuel payments.
Uncertainty over tribunal appeals in new renters’ rights reforms, says minister
It is “hard to tell” how many tenants would take landlords to tribunals under Government reforms to renters’ rights, the housing and planning minister has said.
Matthew Pennycook told LBC: “We just don’t know on some of these reforms what the implications will be in terms of, for example, how many tenants will challenge an unjustified, unreasonable within-tenancy rent increase at tribunal.
“We’d expect it to be a bit more. We don’t think there’ll be huge numbers, but there are potential challenges for the courts and tribunal service to have to deal with.
“We’re working very closely with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice to ensure that the court system is ready at the point that the new system comes into effect.”
Tenants can already challenge landlords at tribunals over a rent increase they feel is unreasonable but under the reforms tribunals will not be able to award a rent increase that is higher than the landlord proposed, Mr Pennycook said.
“We want a proportion of tenants to go to the tribunal because it will have a sort of public interest role in benchmarking what is the reasonable rent increase in any area but we don’t want a system where the tribunals are swamped.”
The Bill also includes new mediation, a new ombudsman for the private renting sector and a new landlord database, he said.
Liz Truss accuses Labour of ‘punitive taxes’ on pensioners
Renters’ rights bill aims to tackle ‘disreputable landlords, says minister
Reforms for renters will seek to “drive out disreputable landlords from the sector”, housing and planning minister Matthew Pennycook has said.
The Renters’ Rights Bill to be introduced today will “decisively level the playing field between landlords and tenants”, Mr Pennycook said.
He told LBC that “good landlords have nothing to fear from these reforms” but that landlords will not be able to “arbitrarily evict any tenant with a section 21 notice, including tenants that make complaints about things like damp and mould, rather than fix those problems.”
He said: “We recognise that most landlords provide a good service to their tenants. We want to drive out disreputable landlords from the sector, but good landlords through this Bill will have robust grounds for possession when they need to take their properties back.”
Mr Pennycook said he did not recognise warnings that the changes could prompt landlords to sell their buy-to-let properties and reduce how many rental properties are available.
He said: “If a proportion of over-geared buy-to-let landlords leave and we have more professional private rent providers come in, that will actually, I think, drive some improvements for tenants. We want to see, for example, an increase in the build-to-rent sector where you’ve got professional providers coming in and providing a slightly different offer.”
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