Labour conference live: Blow for Keir Starmer as members back union bid to reverse winter fuel payments cut
Labour members expose rift in party as they back unions’ non-binding motion over ‘cruel’ cut
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Sir Keir Starmer has been defeated in a vote to reverse the controversial cut to the winter fuel payments in a vote that has exposed a rift within the Labour party.
The non-binding motion, named An Economy for the Future and tabled by Sharon Graham of the Unite union and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), was passed by a show of hands in a rowdy hall at the Labour Party annual conference.
During her speech, Unite’s general secretary Sharon Graham slammed the government calling members to rebel against the policy as she shouted: “This is not what people voted for.”
The motion called for means testing of the winter fuel allowance to be scrapped and for an end to fiscal rules which prevent borrowing to invest, as well as the introduction of a wealth tax.
The prime minister said in his conference speech on Tuesday that he understood concern over the winter fuel allowance but stressed that stabilising the economy was the first step of a long-term plan, adding: “Every pensioner will be better off with Labour.”
Sir Keir has now left the conference to join world leaders at the United Nations with a promise to deliver “global leadership” as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out conflict and the bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
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Pictured: Unite Union members campaign defending the winter fuel payment
Watch: Union members stage demo ahead of Labour winter fuel allowance debate
The Tories ‘betrayed’ NHS by leaving it ‘totally unprepared for tomorrow’, says Streeting
Wes Streeting has accused the previous Conservative administration of having betrayed the NHS by leaving it “totally unprepared for tomorrow”, Millie Cooke reports from the Labour conference.
The health secretary told the Labour Party conference: “Every day in this job, I see the scale of the challenge but I also see something else – the potential of our NHS.”
The Tories’ biggest betrayal wasn’t that they left the NHS unable to care for us today, it’s that they left it totally unprepared for tomorrow.
“Advances in genomics, data mean the health care of the future would be more predictive, more preventative and more personalised than ever before.”
Labour to create ‘crack teams of top clinicians’ to help people back to work
Wes Streeting has announced the department for health will send “crack teams of top clinicians to hospitals across the country to roll out reforms developed by surgeons to treat more patients and cut waiting lists”.
The health secretary confirmed that the measures, revealed in Labour’s manifesto, will start in 20 hospitals “in areas with the highest numbers of people off work sick”.
He added: “Our reforms are not only focussed on delivering our health mission, but also moving the dial on our growth mission too. We will take the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS, get sick Brits back to health and back to work.
“That’s the difference a Labour government makes.”
Wes Streeting promises to give care workers the 'status and respect they deserve'
The health secretary has promised to give care workers the “status and respect they deserve” through Labour’s manifesto pledge to build a National Care Service, our political correspondent Millie Cooke writes from the Labour conference.
Speaking on the main stage of the party conference in Liverpool, the health secretary said: “Angela and I will deliver a new deal for care professionals, a fair pay agreement to improve pay and conditions and give staff the status and respect they deserve.
“Our first step towards building a National Care Service.”
Health secretary vows NHS charges will be introduced 'over my dead body’
The health secretary has promised not to introduce charges to patients of the NHS.
Wes Streeting insisted that the NHS can still be reformed declaring: “Together, we will turn it around.
“We will always defend our NHS as a public service, free at the point of use, so that whenever you fall ill you never have to worry about the bill.”
He then claimed charges will be introduced “over my dead body”.
‘The NHS is broken but it is not beaten’ - Streeting
Despite the stark warning, Wes Streeting has insisted that “the NHS is broken but it is not beaten”.
The health secretary claimed that “every cancer patient deserves world class care” and that the two-tier system is a “cruel lottery” of “neglect”.
He added: “This meant that when the pandemic hit, our NHS was on its knees and hit harder than any comparable health care system.
“It isn’t just the Tories didn’t fix the roof while the sun is shining, they doused the house in petrol, left the gas on, and COVID just lit the match.”
Streeting: NHS is letting people down
Wes Streeting is delivering a major speech at the main stage on the final day of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
The health secretary began his address warning patients around the country that the NHS is “letting people down”.
He tells the conference about the case of a woman with stage four cancer who struggled to get diagnosed outside of private healthcare.
“Had she stayed with the NHS, Clare is certain she would be dead,” he added.
VOICES | Starmer’s speech finally gave us a reason to commit to the struggle
Labour has long warned the public of the struggle that lies ahead – but only now has the PM offered us the reasons why, writes Andrew Grice:
Starmer’s speech finally gave us a reason to commit to the struggle
Labour has long warned the public of the struggle that lies ahead – but only now has the PM offered us the reasons why, writes Andrew Grice
Watch live: Wes Streeting delivers speech on final day of Labour conference
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