New York State

ED Miliband was accused of “rewriting history” yesterday after he claimed scrapping winter fuel was about stopping millionaires getting payments. 

The bungling Net Zero Secretary tried to justify Labour’s original decision to strip the handout by suggesting the pensioners who would’ve missed out were all rich. 

Alamy

Miliband has been slammed as ‘out of touch’, and accused of rewriting history to cover up Labour’s embarrassing winter fuel allowance U-turn[/caption]

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But some of them earned as little as £12,000 per year. 

Mr Miliband said: “The principal question was, the richest in our society, should they get the winter fuel payment, should millionaires, should the richest get the winter fuel payment?

“I think the answer for most people to that is no.” 

The Net Zero Secretary’s desperate bid to explain scrapping winter fuel payments – before the decision was partially reversed – was blasted by senior Tories, who accused him of spouting a “pack of lies”. 

Shadow Energy Secretary Andrew Bowie told The Sun: “Red Ed is even more out of touch than we thought if he thinks people will believe this pack of lies. 

“The economy is worse off than when they found it – taxes higher, unemployment higher and living standards lower. 

“He is just trying to rewrite history to try and cover up Labour’s embarrassing U-turn.” 

Meanwhile, a flagship Net Zero plan has been spared ahead of next week’s spending review — to opponents’ dismay.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has ensured his £13billion warm homes scheme will not be downgraded after negotiations with the Treasury.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves decided not to cut the cash which allows heating upgrades through better insulation, solar panels and heat pumps.

MORE voters think Net Zero has made them worse off rather than improving living standards, polling shows.

Some 38 per cent say they have been negatively affected by Sir Keir Starmer’s green rules.

Just 21 per cent think their lives have improved, with 34 per cent saying it has not made a difference, Merlin Strategies found.

In a blow to the PM, a fifth of Labour supporters say their lives are worse.

Reform and Tory voters are the most likely to say Net Zero has lowered their living standards.

Among the policies are a ban on new petrol and diesel car sales and plans to decarbonise the electricity grid but critics say this will lead to huge bills.

Lawrence Newport, of the Looking For Growth think tank, said: “If the Government doesn’t start to secure our energy grid, voters will punish them.”

The Department for Net Zero said: “We’ll reach Net Zero in a way that treads lightly on people’s lives.”

CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves will today throw hundreds of millions of pounds at fixing Britain’s broken borders — including more drones to snare migrants.

The £680million cash boost comes as ministers scramble to reduce the £4million being spent every day on accommodation for those who manage to cross the Channel in small boats.

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Rachel Reeves will throw hundreds of millions of pounds at fixing Britain’s broken borders — including more drones to snare migrants[/caption]

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Migrants board a boat from France bound for Britain[/caption]

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Small boat crossings are at a record 15,000 already this year[/caption]

Ms Reeves and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper put on a united front following days of fraught negotiations over today’s spending review — insisting border security is a priority.

The funding is part of a £113billion splurge by the Chancellor as she seeks to get back on the front foot at the end of a painful 48 hours.

She is reeling from a humiliating U-turn on winter fuel payments and rising unemployment.

Yesterday Ms Reeves admitted voters were not feeling any better 11 months on from the election.

But she ignored calls to apologise for her financial juggling.

Weeks of haggling have seen the Chancellor lock horns with her Cabinet colleagues over how much of the pie they will get.

The Sun understands Ms Cooper, the last to fold in tense negotiations, has secured £100million to combat illegal migration this year.

She will also get £580million over the next three years for new border police and surveillance, including the extra drones.

Critics are likely to seize on the figure as a drop in the ocean, as small boat crossings are at a record 15,000 already this year.

Britain is also paying France £480million to police its beaches.

And the £4.7billion annual bill to keep migrants in hotels and look after them takes every penny of tax from 582,000 workers.

The spending review will also include huge cash boosts for transport, energy and tech projects in an effort to drive growth.

Ms Reeves will tells MPs today: “This Government is renewing Britain. But I know too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it.

“This Government’s task, my task, and the purpose of this spending review, is to change that.

“To ensure that renewal is felt in people’s everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.

“I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal.”

Gloomy economic figures

Her claim to have restored stability to the economy was shot down by the Tories who seized on gloomy economic figures.

The jobless rate hit its highest level since the pandemic as businesses struggle with a £25billion national insurance raid.

Unemployment jumped to 4.6 per cent in the three months to April, up from 4.5 per cent for the three months to March and the highest since 2021.

The number of job vacancies also tumbled by 63,000 to 736,000 in the three months to May.

But the Civil Service grew by 2,000 in the first three months of the year to hit its highest level for nearly two decades, at 550,000.

Wages growth fell sharply to 5.2 per cent, prompting speculation interest rates will be cut again.

Bleak domestic situation

The bleak domestic situation was echoed by the World Bank, which said the global economy was hurtling towards its worst year outside a recession since 2008.

Some £39billion will be spent on social housing in the next decade, and the £3 bus fare cap remains.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting will see his Whitehall budget rise by £30billion in three years.

Defence spending is on course to hit 2.5 per cent by 2027, with a hope of three per cent by 2034.

Police will get an above-inflation pay rise but Ms Cooper could still be forced to make savings.

It comes after police chiefs warned of “stark choices” in the future.

Taking the rise 

THE verdict is in on the Jobs Tax — and it’s not good news. 

In the first set of figures since the £25billion National Insurance whammy on employers kicked in, unemployment now stands at 4.6 per cent. 

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Today’s Spending Review is a chance for the Chancellor to reverse some of the damage inflicted by Labour’s job tax[/caption]

Estimates for last month show 109,000 workers wiped from company pay-rolls — the biggest monthly drop since Covid. 

Vacancies are also at their lowest since the pandemic. 

The ONS bleakly warns: “Some firms may be holding back from recruiting new workers or replacing people when they move on.” 

Reality has now bitten, making Sir Keir Starmer’s claims of having fixed the economy look distinctly shaky. 

The NI tax rise was always going to be a massive brake on the economy. 

If you make it more expensive for employers to employ people they will have to stop doing it. 

The costs to businesses from Angela Rayner’s forthcoming Employment Rights Bill could make it worse. 

Today’s Spending Review is a chance for the Chancellor to reverse some of the damage. 

By unveiling some measures proving growth really is her number one priority. 

China crisis 

WHY are ministers being so complacent about the obvious threats posed by China’s planned super embassy? 

Spooks and MPs are worried about a nest of hostile spies being built in London — close to three major data centres linked by cables carrying highly sensitive financial information. 

The US also has grave doubts about the wisdom of handing Beijing such a golden chance to cause havoc in a close ally’s capital. 

Its chief concern is the Chinese getting hold of secret shared information. 

Given that China already runs secret police stations targeting dissidents in Britain, such fears are justified. 

Could the reason for ministers being so relaxed is that it’s already a done deal in return for the paltry £600million trade agreement signed in January? 

If so, is that really worth such an enormous risk to national security? 

Zero faith 

TAXED to the hilt, worried about losing their jobs and struggling to pay soaring bills, it’s no wonder that so many skint Brits are fed up with Net Zero.

Forty per cent now feel actively worse off as a result of the dash to 2050, while just a fifth believe it has led to positive change. 

Politicians must understand the current harsh economic reality for so many hard-working families. 

Net Zero remains a hugely expensive luxury the country — and ordinary folk — simply can’t afford. 

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