Sarwar grilled in Gourock over Winter Fuel Payment cuts

ALBA Party have called on Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to stand up to Keir Starmer after he was grilled by local pensioners who are upset about plans to cut winter fuel payments.

On a campaign visit to Gourock in the West of Scotland, ahead of a by-election caused by the resignation of a newly elected Labour MP, Sarwar came under fire from local pensioners angry at his party’s decision to cut universal entitlement to winter fuel payments. 

Asked by the Greenock Telegraph what he would say to Gourock pensioners affected by the winter fuel payment decision, Mr Sarwar said: “To put it bluntly, we got rid of the cranks, and we’re picking up the damage left by the cranks.

“That’s going to mean tough choices and difficult decisions, but we’re going to do it in a way that’s about attracting investment, delivering growth, not returning to austerity, not thinking we could just squeeze those working people with even higher levels of taxation.

Alba Party’s candidate in the Gourock by-election Chris McEleny has now called on Mr Sarwar to stand up to the UK Labour Party and join Alba’s campaign to Save the Winter Fuel Payment. 

McEleny, the General Secretary of Alba Party, served as a Councillor for Gourock for 10 years. He says that Sarwar “came to Gourock to talk to voters and he left with a clear message that pensioners in Gourock are angry that his party’s first decision in Government was to rob them of a vital payment”. 

Commenting Alba Party General Secretary and candidate in the Gourock by-election Chris McEleny said: 

“Our campaign in Gourock to Save the Winter Fuel Payment is proving popular - and no wonder, 12,500 pensioners in Gourock and Inverclyde are going to lose their winter fuel payment because the UK Labour Government have chosen to target pensioners for cuts and the SNP Scottish Government so far feel they can’t afford to do anything other than pass those cuts on. 

"Anas Sarwar left Gourock under no doubt that pensioners in Gourock are not happy that they gave his party their vote in July and have been punished for doing so. 

“Alba Party are the only party campaigning to save the winter fuel payment in Gourock and Mr Sarwar would do well to apologise to the pensioners of my town and stand up to Keir Starmer to force him to end this unnecessary assault on pensioners.”