A TRADE union branch in Carlisle claimed support for Labour has ‘already vanished’ as it took part in a protest over government plans to cut winter fuel payments to all but the poorest pensioners.

The comments came after Unite’s Cumbrian community branch held protests over the cuts in Carlisle and Kendal.

Robert Charlesworth, secretary of the branch, said: “Most people agreed that energy should be publicly owned.

“Pensioners described how the winter fuel cut would leave them struggling to heat their home.

“Others asked why the government are making poor pensioners pay when 50 billionaire families own as much as half the population.”

Unite’s national body is taking the government to court in hopes that they’ll be able to force Labour to back down on their pension policy change.

“It was clear from all the responses that support for Labour has already vanished,” Mr Charlesworth added.

Most Labour MPs, including Carlisle's Julie Minns, Penrith and Solway's Markus Campbell-Savours, and Whitehaven and Workington's Josh MacAlister, voted to cut winter fuel payments.

Mr Charlesworth added that his branch will be holding Labour councillors’ ‘feet to the fire’ on this issue in order to determine if they’re ‘prepared to speak out in favour of the people who elected them’ or ‘kowtow to the national Labour party leadership’.

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“People in Cumbria have a right to know what position their local councillors take on this,” he said.

“The experience of the last few decades has shown that regulation of private profiteers simply doesn’t work. 

“The only way to have a pricing policy in the interests of the majority of people is by nationalisation and the democratic election of a board of representatives of workers in the industry and customers.”

A government spokesperson said it was “committed to supporting pensioners” and urged people to check if they were eligible for pension credit.

They added: “Over a million pensioners will still receive the winter fuel payment, and our drive to boost pension credit take up has seen applications more than double with over 40,000 more pensioners now receiving pension credit, and the winter fuel payment.”