Reading Green Party are campaigning for the decision to stop the winter fuel payment for millions of pensioners to be reversed.
Following the Labour government’s decision to withdraw the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners, which was supported by local Labour MP Matt Rodda, Reading Greens have launched a petition calling on Labour to reverse this damaging cut.
Research done by the Labour Party in 2017 claimed previous Tory plans to scrap the winter fuel payment for pensioners who were better off could lead to almost 4,000 additional deaths over winter.
Green MPs, along with others, voted to block this cut but were defeated by the Labour majority.
Councillor Dave McElroy, who was the Green Party Reading Central MP candidate at the recent general election, said: “We know that there are wealthy pensioners in the UK who this won’t trouble, but there are two million pensioners that will be pushed towards poverty following the Labour government’s cruel decision to cut the winter fuel payment.
“Greens want to see this vicious cut reversed immediately. It’s not people who have worked hard all their lives and retired with little, if any, savings that should be paying for the years of austerity, it’s the very wealthy who can afford to help.
“Greens also want to see a massive programme of insulating homes to bring down energy bills. Please sign our petition and send a message to Labour.”