Wes Streeting just hinted it's not just pensioners who will bear the brunt of Labour's plans
Wes Streeting said there will be "more difficult choices to come" on top of the winter fuel payments cut
PA
Shortly after taking power in July, the Labour government announced it would be cutting the Winter Fuel Payment in a blow to pensioners.
Under Labour's means-testing of the benefit, only pensioners who receive Pension Credit or other benefits will be able to claim the allowance.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the move was passed through parliament to help fill a "£22 billion black hole" in the public finances.
Now, Health Secretary Wes Streeting suggested it won't only be pensioners who bear the brunt of Labour's plans hinting cuts to working-age benefits.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the Budget on October 30 POOLHe said: "I can understand why there will be some pensioners sat there thinking, ‘Well, why us? And what about others?’.
"Well, there are other choices to come and these aren’t just Rachel’s choices to face up to, these are the choices of the whole government."
Labour has also announced plans to restrict outdoor smoking and ban junk food ads both online and before the 9 pm TV watershed from October 2025.
Streeting said that although "there's no doubt we need stronger action on smoking" he seeks to reframe the government's nanny-state image.
He said: "I’m not remotely interested in being the fun police or telling people how to live their lives.
"What I do recognise is that people are becoming sicker sooner in life and we’ve got to push chronic disease and illness into later life because it’s good for the economy and it’s how we make the NHS financially sustainable."
According to Streeting, there will be "more difficult choices to come" on top of the Winter Fuel Payments decision.
Mentioning that he was "not remotely happy" about the decision to means-test the allowance but that it wasn't a choice but a necessity, he said: "Well, it’s about £1.5bn towards the £22bn black hole that we face. There will be more difficult choices to come.
"I understand why the Chancellor had to take the decision when she did because she had to set out the decision far enough in advance of winter for the savings to take effect.”
Sir Keir Starmer also previously warned that his party's first Budget "is going to be painful," adding he would have no choice but to ask people to "accept short term pain for long term good."
Keir Starmer previously warned that his party's first Budget "is going to be painful"
PA
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