Schools politics class: Keir Starmer makes U-turn on winter fuel payments

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Specification:

• AQA Component 3.1.2.3: Political parties: the origins, ideas and development of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties and how these have helped shape their current policies

• Edexcel Component 1 (UK Politics): 2.2 Established political parties: The origins and historical development of the Conservative party, the Labour party and Liberal Democrat Party, and how this has shaped their ideas and current policies on the economy, law and order, welfare and foreign affairs.

Background: what you need to know

This article discusses Keir Starmer’s announcement that the Labour government is reviewing its decision last year to withdraw winter fuel payments from all except the poorest pensioners. Many Labour MPs are also unhappy about the decision to retain the Conservative government’s two-child benefit cap and the projected cuts to disability benefits. These are touchstone issues for a party historically committed to defending welfare benefits for those in need.

Click the link below to read the article and then answer the questions:

Keir Starmer makes U-turn on winter fuel payments

See also this article on the subject of disability benefit cuts:

Ministers look at softening UK welfare cuts to avert rebellion by Labour MPs

Question in the style of AQA Politics Paper 1

• Explain and analyse three ways in which the Labour party is internally divided. [9 marks]

Question in the style of Edexcel Politics Paper 1

• Evaluate the view that the Labour party is the most internally divided of the three main UK political parties. You must consider this view and the alternative to this view in a balanced way. [30 marks]

  TIP: Remember that you should not restrict yourself to welfare policy. You could look at how far Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are internally divided on the economy, law and order and foreign affairs.

Graham Goodlad, Portsmouth High School