Plymouth Labour leader Councillor Tudor Evans has sparked outrage after claiming credit for the government's winter fuel allowance U-turn - despite previously refusing to write to Chancellor Rachel Reeves about the cuts when given the opportunity.
Taking Credit Where None is Due
In a statement released Wednesday evening on Plymouth Labour's Facebook page, Cllr Evans welcomed Labour's policy reversal and surprisingly claimed credit, declaring that "we are grateful to the government for listening to the concerns that we have been sharing with them about the threshold".
However, when the original changes were announced, Cllr Evans did exactly the opposite at a council meeting in September 2024 - amending a motion that would have required him to write to the Chancellor.
Plymouth MPs, Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas, also voted in favour of cuts to the winter fuel allowance, further fuelling criticism from local residents.
The Original Motion
The "Plymouth Pensioners" motion was proposed by leader of the opposition Councillor Andy Lugger (Conservative) and seconded by Councillor Ian Darcy. The motion called on Cllr Evans to write directly to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Department of Work and Pensions about fuel poverty affecting Plymouth's elderly residents.
Proposing the motion, Councillor Lugger said:
"The payment is made annually and helps many older Plymothians afford heating in the coldest months of the year, thereby preventing the so-called heat or eat dilemma and safeguarding health.
"I would encourage the leader to support this and to write to both the chancellor and the minister to make them aware of the dire situation elderly Plymouth people will find themselves in and the potential impact on health and wellbeing."
Evans Blocks Direct Action
Instead of supporting the motion, Councillors Evans and Penberthy moved an amendment that removed the requirement for Evans to write to Rachel Reeves personally. The amendment delegated this responsibility to council chief Tracey Lee, who would instead write to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Councillor Lugger accepted the amendment but demanded they "explain why the Leader's not writing and is delegating to the Chief Executive."
He concluded: "Your parliamentary party: I hope they sleep well in their beds this winter when many Plymouth pensioners will not."
Convenient Memory Loss
Cllr Evans appears to have forgotten his previous reluctance to act, now claiming credit for "sharing concerns with the government" about policies he refused to directly challenge when it mattered.
A Plymouth Plus reader wrote in to say:
"Plymouth residents are unlikely to forget his lack of action when Plymouth's pensioners needed support most."
Plymouth Conservatives said on Facebook:
“Labour's Plymouth MPs voted through the cut to the winter fuel allowance, Labour's Councillors refused our requests to intervene and now they try to claim the credit for doing absolutely nothing. Same old Plymouth Labour.”
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