Starmer refuses to rule out scrapping pensioner council tax discount after winter fuel axe

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer has refused three times to say whether he will publish an impact assessment of his decision to withdraw winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners. open image in gallery Labour has so far failed to publish an impact assessment on the fuel cuts Sir Keir staved off a threatened rebellion of Labour MPs, with only one voting against the measure, but at PMQs on Wednesday Rishi Sunak repeatedly asked the PM whether he would publish the assessment, and why he had refused so far. “Will he now publish the impact assessment before the House rises?” Mr Sunak went on to ask the prime minister about the impact assessment twice more, but Sir Keir repeatedly avoided the question. “Before he complains about us clearing up his mess, perhaps he would like to apologise for the £22bn black hole.” open image in gallery Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak challenged the prime minister on the cuts Mr Sunak pointed to a 2017 Labour analysis of Conservative plans to means test the payment, which found that it would kill as many as 4,000 pensioners.