'I'm a pensioner and agree with the winter fuel allowance cut – here's why'

I have enjoyed receiving the payment in recent years, and I broadly agree with the decision to take it away.

As a rise in income tax and national insurance, which I would have preferred, has been ruled out (full disclosure, I still work and pay significant amounts of income tax), I am generally in favour.

But that agreement only stands until I see what comes when Rachel Reeves delivers her first Budget next month.

Then we will see if Keir Starmer’s delivers on his promise that “those with broadest shoulders should bear the heavier burden”. That’s when we will know if we are all in it together. The wealthy, instead of having a free ride for the last 14 years must dig deeper to get the country going in the right direction.

Pensioners have played their part and I expectr others to follow. If, with a massive majority and five years to deliver, Sir Keir bottles it and panders to the rich, then he will go down with me as a complete fraud.

When David Cameron and George Osborne kept droning on about us all being in it together when they came into power in 2010, it almost sounded plausible except for the fact that the UK economy was growing after the financial crash.

What it turned out to mean was years of austerity. Some of us were in for it together. While those at the top end were out of it and doing very nicely thank you very much.

So when Labour took the reins of Government in July (is it really just over two months?), we knew there were going to be ‘difficult’ decisions.