Morning Star editor BEN CHACKO reports on TUC Congress discussions on how to confront the far right and rebuild the left’s appeal to workers
Running out of credit: Anas Sarwar and the Winter Heating Payment
Without challenging the neoliberal framework of our economy or seeking more powers for Scotland, the Scottish Labour leader’s seeming break with Westminster policy rings hollow, writes VINCE MILLS
TACTICAL MANOEUVRE: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s surprise move does not represent a serious change of direction
The Prime Minister’s hamfisted promotional video promising to go ‘further and faster’ coincides with Angela Rayner’s resignation over tax dodging and Mandelson’s long overdue departure over Epstein — incredible timing, writes MATT KERR
The desperate French president keeps running up the same political cul-de-sac. DENNIS BROE offers an explanation
Climate justice and workers’ rights movements are uniting to make the rich pay for our transition to a green economy, writes assistant general secretary of PCS JOHN MOLONEY, ahead of a major demonstration on September 20
Ben-Gvir’s threat to treat the flotilla as terrorists shows how seriously Israel takes the danger of growing solidarity activism from civil society to its standing on the international stage, writes RAMZY BAROUD
A new report from the Citizens Advice Bureau destroys the government narrative about disabled people ‘choosing’ not to work, showing the £3,000 annual cuts will create a two-tiered system based on claim dates rather than needs, writes DYLAN MURPHY
ANAS SARWAR, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, took everyone by surprise — at least everyone outside his inner circle — when he announced last week that should Labour win the 2026 election in Scotland, all pensioners would receive a payment of the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment which will be paid by Social Security Scotland.
This is due to replace the current winter fuel benefit currently administered by DWP in 2025-26. The new benefit being proposed by Sarwar, however, would be “tapered” so that the wealthiest households received less.
Rachel Reeves had, of course, used the Budget to announce that the new Labour government would end winter fuel payments at the British level for most pensioners, with only those receiving means-tested benefits entitled to receive it from now on.
More from this author
Lucy Powell may not exactly be the left’s choice, but her bid for the deputy leadership is certainly not the Labour right’s choice — and if she wins, that could mean the ascendancy of Andy Burnham and the end of Keir Starmer, writes VINCE MILLS
VINCE MILLS charts the disintegration of the Starmer faction’s platform and the gulf between it and Labour members
VINCE MILLS says Scottish Labour has adopted better positions than its Westminster counterpart — but unless it starts to fight for them that will count for nothing
VINCE MILLS cautions over the perils and pitfalls of ‘a new left party’
