HEREFORDSHIRE’S Green and Conservative MPs voted against government moves to cut the winter fuel payment to all but the neediest pensioners.

At a vote in the Commons on Tuesday, September 10, the government defeated the Conservative motion to block the cut, by 348 votes to 228, a majority of 120, with 52 Labour MPs not voting.

Newly elected Green MP for North Herefordshire Ellie Chowns said in the parliamentary debate on the vote that fuel poverty is ‘an enormous issue’ in her constituency, on which many hundreds had written to her.

“A combination of demographics, geography, housing stock and living standards” was impacting on people’s health, and leaving them “with the choice of heating or eating.” she said.

Jesse Norman, Conservative MP for South Herefordshire also voted to block the cut in the payment but he has not publicly made a comment.