I was slipped and off the Parliament estate for personal reasons so did not vote today. But throughout my decade in Parliament, I have advocated for universal basic services and benefits to be expanded, not contracted, as we enter into the 21st century, with all the challenges that lie ahead of us. Universalism is the way forwards, means testing is a backwards looking approach.

At the General Election, I committed to prioritising tackling deprivation. My views on the government’s decision about the Winter Fuel Payment were always very clear. I co-sponsored Early Day Motion 115, calling on the government to postpone this decision and introduce “a comprehensive strategy to tackle fuel poverty, health inequality and low incomes among older people”. There are better way to raise money and create economic stability than undermining a universal benefit like the Winter Fuel Payment.