A MOTION to criticise the Labour government over the cut to the winter fuel allowance for pensioners has been voted down by Cumberland council- with the council’s Liberal Democrat group leader finding it ‘slightly bizarre’ the Conservative group had proposed a motion on the subject.

Millions of pensioners will lose winter fuel payments this year after the government won a parliamentary vote on the plan to restrict the payments to only the poorest pensioners.

At a meeting of Cumberland council on Friday, September 27 two motions were tabled to condemn the Labour government for their decision to cut winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Both motions included resolutions for the leader and chief executive to write to government disagreeing with the decision on the cut to the winter fuel

Due to the two amendments being very similar, Councillor Tim Pickstone Leader of the Liberal Democrats suggested the council lift the wording of the motion into the Conservative motion and the Liberal Democrat motion be withdrawn.

Speaking on the amendment Cllr Pickstone said he thought the government had got the winter fuel payments ‘quite badly wrong’ asking them to think again and spoke about encouraging pensioners within Cumberland to take up pension credit.

He said: “These are the two reasons why we think our amendment is better and I find it slightly bizarre that this motion is from the Conservative group given that it is their party which has put the country in the terrible financial position which is leading to some very tough financial decisions having to be made.

“There doesn’t seem to be any recognition from the Conservative group in this chamber that all the faults for those difficult decisions actually lie with their party, so that’s why we feel that our text is better.”

The amendment was voted down and councillors were left to vote on the motion proposed by Conservative leader Mike Johnson.

Mr Johnson's motion resolves to 'condemn the proposal to remove the winter fuel payment from pensioners who do not claim pension credit or are on other benefits, recognising the disproportionate impact this will have on our most vulnerable residents, particularly those in rural communities'- as well as asking the council leader and chief executive to write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, as well as all local MP’s on the issue.

This motion was also voted down by the council with the motion falling.