POLL OF THE DAY: Do you trust Labour not to scrap free bus passes for pensioners? - YOUR VERDICT
People may be able to get a free bus pass before state pension age
PEXELS
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has failed to rule out scrapping the free bus pass for pensioners.
The future of travel concessions for pensioners has been left in doubt ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget next month.
During Prime Minister's Questions yesterday afternoon, Conservative MP Louie French asked what other pensioner benefits are on the chopping block following the means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment.
He said: "Following Labour's disgraceful political decision to scrap Winter Fuel Payments with little notice to millions of pensioners, will the Prime Minister today rule out scrapping concessionary travel fares and council tax discounts which also help millions of pensioners across the UK? Yes or no?"
POLL OF THE DAY: Do you trust Labour not to scrap free bus passes for pensioners? - YOUR VERDICT
GB News
In response, Starmer said: "As he knows very well, I am not going to preempt the Budget. It will all be set out in due course."
Labour ministers were also cagey over the fate of travel concessions for pensioners on Tuesday too.
In the House of Commons, Treasury minister James Murray refused to confirm whether benefits, such as the free bus pass for older Britons, will remain in place.
Conservative MP Kit Malthouse asked the minister about the likely fate of the various discounts available to older people when travelling the UK.
Keir Starmer failed to rule out scrapping free bus passes
PEXELSHe said: “Yesterday in the other place, the Transport Minister cast doubt on the continuation of travel concessions for pensioners.
"This has caused significant alarm in my constituency and others. Notwithstanding the discussion we’re having today, could you just reassure us that travel concessions for pensioners will continue under a Labour Government?”
In response, Murray told MPs to wait until Rachel Reeves' statement next month. He said: "The Chancellor will take all decisions.”
"Let me make one really important point to (Mr Malthouse) as we approach the budget on October 30, we know there are going to be difficult decisions that we have to take in the budget on October 30.
"Frankly, that is the direct consequence of the decisions taken by him and his colleagues when they were in Government.”
A whopping 98 per cent of GB News members who voted in the poll do not trust Labour not to scrap free bus passes for pensioners, while just two per cent trust the Government.