Harlow MP Chris Vince issues statement on winter fuel allowance vote controversy
Chris Vince / Wed 11th Sep 2024 at 12:11pm
MPs have voted to remove the winter fuel allowance from all but the poorest pensioners in England and Wales, with a significant number of Labour MPs abstaining.
A Conservative motion to strike down the move was defeated by 348 votes to 228. Just one Labour MP, Jon Trickett, voted for the opposition motion but 52 abstained.
On Tuesday afternoon, we asked Harlow MP Chris Vince for a statement.
On Wednesday afternoon, his office sent us a grab of a WhatsApp message.
We also contacted all sixteen Harlow Labour councillors regarding this subject. Not a single one has yet to reply.
Number of people receiving winter fuel payments, by constituency, in Harlow in 2022/23: 15,243
jarrett
2024-09-11 12:20:41
Tow the party line eh Chris, although red or blue you are all good at blaming somebody else, do you claim your fuel allowance on any homes you may have?
Bill
2024-09-11 12:25:37
Chris, You should be ashamed of yourself !! You should represent the people of Harlow and not just your opinion. You have let us down
Seamus
2024-09-11 12:49:53
A point of note Mr Vince. Whatever percieved mess you claim to have walked into, the decision to attack Pensioners was Labour's and Labour's alone. There are many ways this money could have been claimed whilst avoiding going after the most vulnerable in our society. Your own party has continued to refuse access to the risk assesment, in which Labour itself has estimated there will be close to 4,000 extra winter deaths due to removing this money from the most vulnerable and elderly. Mr Vince, your cowardice in standing up for Harlows most vulnerable goes against everything you promised on election day and at the election result. You have become the epitome of a Politician, once elected you see the people you represent as an inconveniance. Enjoy your yearly £91,346 plus expenses, it's considerably more than 30 pieces of silver but the effect is the same.
Jim
2024-09-11 13:01:34
Agree with everything seamus posted When labour leave office will there be a note the cupboards empty ala Gordon brown
Adam
2024-09-11 13:03:26
Things we can afford according to Chris and Labour. 11.6 Billion in overseas climate aid, 8.6 Billion on GB energy (another lie about £300 lower bills which is not known to be false). 10 B on public sector pay rises (while services / productivity lowest ever), £100M on train drivers pay rises, and £3B on the Ukraine war. Things we cannot afford 1.6B to stop 4000 (labours own numbers) freezing to death. When not long ago Labour wanted to keep the country closed to protect the elderly (if it saves just one life) I am disgusted with politicians but Labour in 10 weeks take the cake.
Adam
2024-09-11 13:05:02
The fact he sent a screen gab from whatsapp shows how little he respects the people he is supposed to represent.
Nick
2024-09-11 13:16:31
Mr Vince, the strap line you have published at the top of the Your Harlow website is wrong, it says 'serving the people of Harlow and the villages' it should read 'DECEIVING the people of Harlow and the villages' I shouldn't be surprised your mentor Bill Rammel was no better, apart from blindly following the party line. You have no interest in anything apart from feeding your self worth and inflated ego.
Colin
2024-09-11 13:27:53
If the majority of Labour MPs are against the move to remove the fuel allowance why did the vote for it's removal. Yes there was the threat of being banned but this wasn't likely to happen as it would have left Kier Starmer without a party to govern. I note that MPs expenses aren't subject to review talk about one rule for others but not for them
Fact or Fiction
2024-09-11 13:57:14
Colin, 2022-23 average expenses budget for each MP's office, not including their salary circa £282K.
Phil
2024-09-11 13:59:56
It seems to me you are towing the party line and putting your own political ambitions in front of doing what’s right for Harlow’s elderly pensioners.
Guy Flegman
2024-09-11 15:24:47
Labour have always stabbed the working class in the back( metaphorically speaking). It’s all about keeping the masses poor and dependant on the government, and Labour are better at it than most. Like I said before the election “ you cannot trust someone with two first names”
2TierKier
2024-09-11 15:25:42
"Harlow MP Chris Vince issues statement on winter fuel allowance vote controversy" More like a party statement than a personnel message from our MP. I reckon that all Labour MP's have issued the same statement and just changed their contact details on the last line. Good on Jon Trickett standing by his beliefs.
Alison
2024-09-11 15:48:44
Labour politicians chickened out because they put their jobs before their constituent's.Shame on them I bet they still get a heating allowance unlike the oaps.
Henry
2024-09-11 16:22:35
Gordon Brown, on his first budget 1997, stopped the dividend tax relief on the final salary pension fund, which was worth £5 Billion, that was always invested back into that fund, which always kept the fund in profit, a fund that 90% of the British workers paid into, he was warned then, what problems it would create for the future, when he didn’t listen, it’s reckoned they went to Tony Blair to try and get it stopped, but nothing got changed. £5 billion pounds per annum over the 14 years they were in power, that could no longer be invested in that fund, causing that fund to be virtually destroyed, at a conservative estimate, its reckoned that fund is roughly£230 Billion in the red, which has cost the pensioners of today. First thing Labour, ( or is it momentum now running this country) attack pensioners again. Really
Big john
2024-09-11 16:23:47
Westminster is corrupt, no morals or backbone, just out to line their pockets and save their jobs
Dan
2024-09-11 16:45:37
Chris I agree with you that when times are hard, we can’t just go handing money out to people just because they are old, or just because they’ve managed to have three or more kids. State handouts should be based on need, I think we all agree on that. However Chris, to do that in the same week train drivers were given an inflation busting pay rise just seems cruel. I know that part of the reason that we are in this mess is because of Brexit and that the elderly overwhelmingly voted leave and that in some way, they must pay for their folly, but we mustn’t forget that ASLEF too put their money behind the Leave vote because the wanted Renationalisation of the railways. Chris, before you subject us to torylike austerity, may I suggest that you take a look at the government. We are paying for security for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, home and abroad for the rest of their lives SIX Tory ex PMs - That includes Liz Truss. That can’t be fair. How many extra life saving cancer ops could we afford if we left Liz Truss to pay her own way? Also, also all those people that Boris Johnson gave honours to, strip them of their honours. Each one of them draws more A DAY for turning up at the House of Lords than those pensioners were getting A YEAR. Oh and get rid of the House of Lords, rather than stuffing it with Ex Local Authority Heads and Union Barons. P.S. I’ve heard that you are doing a good job and got out and saw loads of people over the summer - Well done!
Charlie
2024-09-11 17:00:43
Sorry, but your statement won't wash. We only have Labour's word that there is a 22 billion black hole in the countries finances. I for 1 do not belive that. As previous comments on have said, if there is in fact the massive deficit in the finances, then how comes inflation busting pay rises have been approved, and yet pensioners ar hit the hardest. My father was a Labour councillor for many years and he wouls be ashahme of what the labour party have become. But tell you what, make the most of your 5 years in office as you won't get elected again, that is if labour actually make it to 5 years.
Marie
2024-09-11 17:31:30
Chris Vince MP voted for child allowance to be reduced to cover a maximum of 2 children. Yet our MPs can claim for maximum of 3 children a cost of £5435 each child. But they can claim as much as ,£6,120 for each child (that's the pot calling the kettle black) Us tax payers also pay for their heating. Electric bills and council tax to mention but a few on 2nd homes ( Quite disgraceful when our pensioners are having to make a choice on food or heat) along with a nice big salary of £91,346 plus they can claim their water bill. Home contents insurance and security all on 2nd homes either in their constituency or a property near the houses of parliament. They also get preferential treatment through the NHS private room so as not to be in a ward with ordinary ppl. Chris Vince will never go against the labour party regardless of his constituents. He has a very Lucrative position now and he has got where he wanted to go Thank you very much!! Our Government are the leeches of all time. Do as they say not as they do !!!!!! They are the ones draining our coffers and we're the ones that are paying for it along with our pensioners. A dam disgrace !!!!
Keely
2024-09-11 17:34:59
We gave £3b to Ukraine. We gave Africa £11b. We pay £9m a day on hotels the country is a joke.
Colleen Morrison
2024-09-11 17:44:16
During Laura Kuenssberg's interview of PM Starmer last Sunday, PM Starmer admitted that £9-10 billion of the so called 22 billion black hole in UK's finances was the result of the Labour government's recent public sector pay rises. So PM Starmer's and Chancellor Reeves' claims that the 22 Billion black hole came as a complete shock to them, surely must have been untrue and they had ample time to look elsewhere to recoup almost half of the so called black hole. PM Starmer, when challenged by Kuenssberg on this, blamed the prior Conservative government for his (Starmer's) government's public sector pay rise. I've copied a link to PM Starmer's interview below, I hope posting this link is not against Your Harlow's rules, Mr Editor, I apologise if it is. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0022sqh/sunday-with-laura-kuenssberg-interview-with-the-prime-minister
paul,
2024-09-11 18:35:52
I think labour have made a major clanger,they should change it,or i dont think they will get anymore then there 5 year term,which personally i would be happy about,we were warned about them
Steve
2024-09-11 19:15:42
Great idea, pick on the old. The cold might finish them off, and save on pensions
Tim
2024-09-11 19:17:52
Keely, I see money to Ukraine as a bit of an insurance policy, but while we suffer with high prices and high taxes, I don’t see why we don’t shame those nations who don’t pay their way and why we don’t call out companies who still trade with Russia and its proxies. Africa is different. Why should our kids who struggle to get a deposit together for a home or to pay their rent, pay extra taxes which are sent to Africa, where they go straight into the pockets of their wealthy. These wealthy people use a bit of our money to cement their position in their corrupt systems, but much of it comes back to the UK, where they buy 2nd and 3rd homes, further pricing out kids out of the market. It's absolutely insane. They bring their own staff with them, from other 3rd world countries and they pay them nothing and beat them. We are paying for this on our soil. And why do we continue to send money to these countries and various international organisations? - We do it, so that our spent politicians can get a job at a UN agency or some other shadowy body.
Peter Lamb
2024-09-11 19:45:15
Here's a prediction for you Chris, you will not retain your seat at the next election, you have little interest in representing the people of Harlow and that will be your downfall
Nostradamus
2024-09-11 19:48:54
Let's not forget the playbook on Austerity was written by George Osborne. Strange we didn't see the Tory Party voting against it. People in glass houses (although thanks to 14 years of Tory mismanagement, there's no room in the Glass House for the tory parliamentary party) shouldn't throw stones. Pensioners are a vulnerable target Labour should have instead put a tax on fund managers who don't pay normal taxes on huge salaries but by agreement pay only 28%, and an additional 1% tax on the richest 10 % .
Boris
2024-09-11 22:27:59
Are pensioners vulnerable? I know lots of pensioners but wouldn't consider more than 2 or 3 to be vulnerable.
Son of Old Man River
2024-09-12 07:34:56
MP Vince appears to have "let slip the dogs of war". Are there no local Labour councillors or battle weary foot-soldiers who knocked on all those Harlow doors crying "Vote Labour!!" willing or able to spring to Chris' defence? Or is he now alone in the trenches?
Sodthisforalark
2024-09-12 08:10:46
Mr Vince has put his career ahead of his constituents, just like the last tories. Just goes to show there is no party in the UK who is capable in making the right choices for us people. Bang goes all the optimism I held last election.
Jennifer Steadman
2024-09-12 09:13:42
And now Sir Keir is not ruling out a drop of the 25% single occupancy Council Tax reduction.....and who are the majority of people who live alone & benefit from this reduction? Pensioners!! Your own analysis figures reveal the risk of death figures for this winter are already nearing 4000. Shame on you for allowing this to hit the most vulnerable of our society!! How about giving up your bonuses Mr Keir?
Graham Von Haartman
2024-09-12 10:52:03
Somewhere along the line expecting 4000 deaths as a result of this policy must be illegal surely
Graham VonHaartman
2024-09-12 10:57:24
An elderly pensioner finding it hard to afford heating or food is entitled to their life just as much as Starmer is.
David Forman
2024-09-12 11:21:07
I did warn about Chris Vince repeatedly over a number of years, but you voted for him for a "change" from the Tories. I also mentioned numerous times the vow by Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves that an incoming Labour government would be "the most business friendly government in history" and that would mean ordinary workers taking a few crumbs. So, no surprise to me that Chris Vince has betrayed his working class voters.
Adam
2024-09-12 15:23:28
David they are not business friendly at all, (neither were the conservatives) they are both friendly to large government, the public sector, unions and of course the right corporations (Serco etc).
Marie
2024-09-12 17:46:38
I don't see the labour government yes you included Chris Vince of giving up any of your perks and expenses. No no you would rather hit the poor and vurable like our pensioners. You and your new labour buddies are the leeches of this country the billions of pounds wasted on giving you a great life style off the backs of our pensioners and those hit the worst due to this governments bad management. Not been in for 5 minutes and the destruction is shameful. Kier starmer said those in his party who did not back him in stopping heating bill would get a black mark against them and those who voted against that same bill would lose their whip. That is not democracy but a dictatorship. So therefore you have no right to be where you are if you cannot represent your constituents. Stay warm this winter and enjoy your perks and all the expenses your getting off the backs of your constituents and our cold and hungry pensioners.
Eva
2024-09-12 20:59:43
Chris Vince has shown he has no principles other than his own comfort. Were he not so inept, we might call him a charlatan, but he is not even that. He is a puppet/muppet. He is just voting fodder for Starmer's pathetic regime. The people of Little Parndon will have the opportunity to speak for Harlow in the council by election next month and reject these Labour bullies who like cowards attack the most vulnerable. Shame on Chris Vince and the Labour Party.
Mazzy
2024-09-13 08:19:33
I hope Chris Vince is reading all these comments and cringing.
Casual Observer
2024-09-13 10:22:54
Responding to Boris - so you know 2 or 3 vulnerable pensioners, well I hope they are still here this time next year - get your head out of your b*m - it's 2024, 1 is too many.
John
2024-09-13 12:10:25
The statement is deliberately inaccurate. The last government left a £12bn black hole. This Labour government immediately increased it to £22bn by awarding public sector workers and union reps huge pay increases, and creating British Energy. The decision to remove the winter fuel allowance is a political one, with Labour CHOOSING to spend the money on other things. Chris Vince is more interested in his own political career than the welfare of Harlow's vulnerable elderly.
2TierKier
2024-09-13 14:14:29
Mazzy--For Chris to be cringing would suggest that he had a conscience. If he did he would have voted not to scrap the allowance.
Steve32
2024-09-15 18:34:53
Chris Vince will toe the Party line and put his own political career and pocket ahead of Harlow pensioners. He'll be putting in an expenses claim for his home heating, which the tax payer will pay. No chance of Chris Vince getting cold this winter.
Tim Healey
2024-09-30 22:41:36
chris vince make the most of your five years as a mp for Harlow or less because you won’t see another five years
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