Council wants to campaign against “unfair attacks on pensioners”.

Councilors have voted to urge Sir Keir Starmer to reverse a decision to cut winter fuel payments for some pensioners.

Conservative-controlled North Northamptonshire Council agreed its leader should write to the Prime Minister urging him to reconsider the controversial move.

The council heard the move would affect around 57,000 people in the area this year.

Labor members accused the Tory government of pulling off a “political stunt”.

The winter fuel payment, worth up to £300, was available to all pensioners regardless of income, but MPs voted last month to limit the payment to those on certain benefits.

Conservative councilor Russell Roberts made a motion at Thursday’s council meeting to support the leader’s plan to write to the Prime Minister on the issue.

He said pensioners may have to choose between “heating or eating” this winter.

Independent member Martin Griffiths said the current government should be “ashamed” for considering withdrawing the payments.

He told the chamber: “To our elderly people affected by this terrible, unfair and unnecessary attack on them, please do not choose between heating and eating.”

“This winter, keep your heating on even in cold weather. Don’t put your health and well-being at risk.”

Leader of the Labor opposition on the city council, Matt Keane, said: “The motion states that this will have an impact on the health and wellbeing of our poorest older residents.”

“That is not true. Everyone was entitled to the winter fuel allowance, even the very richest – people like Sir Richard Branson and Alan Sugar were entitled to it.”

“Giving benefits to millionaires is absolutely crazy.”

He added: “I don’t want a pensioner in difficulty to be denied help, but the government shouldn’t be throwing money where it’s not really needed.”

His Labor colleague Valerie Anslow accused the government of pulling off a “political trick” by tabling the motion and suggested the leader writing a letter would “do no good”.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the vote passed, with 45 members agreeing that the leader should write a letter and 12 voting against.

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