Who was Rachel Reeves more worried about tonight when she addressed the Parliamentary Labour party? The Labour MPs who will rebel against the government tomorrow in the vote on restricting winter fuel payment to those on pension credit – or the ones who are staying loyal?
No one spoke out against the cut when the Chancellor spoke this evening, but others have made their displeasure clear in broadcasts, or by signing the early-day motion calling for the government to U-turn. Reeves told the party: ‘I understand the decision that this government have made on winter fuel is a difficult decision. I’m not immune to the arguments that many in this room have made. We considered those when the decision was made.’ That was a way of underlining that the government is not going to U-turn, because no new information has become available since the decision was made.
The MPs who are staying loyal are more important than the rebels
The MPs who are staying loyal are more important than the rebels, because they need to know that the government isn’t going to U-turn.
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