Jeremy Hunt and 37 Tory MPs could lose seats amid mounting pensioner fury over Budget

Jeremy Hunt and 37 Tory MPs could lose seats amid mounting pensioner fury over Budget

Spring Budget 2024: Jeremy Hunt reveals Government spending plans

GB NEWS
Millie Cooke

By Millie Cooke


Published: 08/03/2024

- 11:03

Updated: 08/03/2024

- 11:31

The Chancellor's 8,817 majority could overturned by the 15,000 pensioners that live in his South West Surrey seat

Some 38 Tory MPs - including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - could lose their seats as a result of growing fury from pensioners.

This comes after a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that the over 66 face an average loss of income of £770 after the budget.


The report showed that households headed by someone aged 18-45 will gain £590 on average.

Analysis produced by the Liberal Democrats found that the Chancellor's 8,817 majority could overturned by the 15,000 pensioners that live in his South West Surrey seat.

Some 38 Tory MPs - including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt - could lose their seats as a result of growing fury from pensioners.

This comes as the Tories continue to poll more than 20 points behind the Labour Party.

Some 37 other key seats in the Blue Wall and West Country Tory consittuencies could be at risk if over-65s turn against the Tories as a result of their Spring Budget.

Treasury spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats Sarah Olney told the Express that the budget was the "moment that the Conservative Party abandoned pensioners".

She added: "Jeremy Hunt's cruel pensioner penalty will rightly not be forgotten come the General Election."

But responding, a source close to the Chancellor said he is "fighting for every vote" in Goldalming and Ash - which will be his seat at the next election as a result of boundary changes.

The source added: "We had to take some difficult decisions to help pay down the Covid furlough debt, but with the British economy turning a corner we can start cutting taxes again while protecting the pensions Triple Lock - a lifeline for millions.

"The last thing local residents want is the Lib Dems borrowing billions of pounds to subsidise mortgages which will send interest rates to new highs."

The Chancellor used his budget to cut National Insurance payments by 2p, saving the average worker £450.

But Age UK has accused him of not doing enough for pensioners, describing today's budget as a "non-event for older people".

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK, said: "'Was that it?' This Budget was something of a non-event for older people, with very few announcements of much interest or relevance to them.

"The reductions in National Insurance (NI) will be welcomed by people in their fifties and early sixties who are in employment but do nothing for anyone working beyond their State Pension Age because they do not pay NI.

"They can be forgiven for feeling hard done by as a result, especially since many of them are working in their late sixties and beyond not because they want to, but because they simply cannot afford to retire. Nor will it help retired people with modest pensions that take them over the tax threshold who will face an increase in income tax rise because personal allowances remain frozen.'


"Age UK had called for the Household Support Fund to be continued beyond April, to help people of all ages struggling on low incomes, and we are pleased the Chancellor announced a six-month extension. However, six months is not long enough and, crucially, this leaves older people on low fixed incomes without recourse to this extra help through the winter months, when high energy bills provoke so much hardship and fear."

Hitting back, Tory MP Robert Buckland told GB News his party is "proud" of their record in delivering for pensioners.

Meanwhile, Hunt insisted he’s done “an enormous amount for pensioners”.

You may like