David Chadwick has criticised the UK Government’s refusal to make changes to winter fuel payment cuts, calling the decision “completely tone-deaf”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's spokesman told reporters there would be "no change" to the policy.

This comes after the Guardian reported yesterday that Downing Street was rethinking its controversial winter fuel payment cut.

The policy, introduced last year, limits the payments to those receiving pension credit or other income-related benefits - removing support from around nine million pensioners. It did not feature in Labour’s general election manifesto and was aimed at saving £1.4 billion.

Mr Chadwick, MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe and the Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson in Westminster, said: “This is a completely tone-deaf response from Labour.

"The public is rightly furious at the UK Labour Government’s decision to rip vital support from millions of the most vulnerable, yet ministers simply are not listening.

“From the Winter Fuel Payments to the Family Farm Tax, to welfare cuts and unfair transport funding for Wales, this Government has turned a blind eye to the millions of Welsh people who can feel the damage that these half-baked polices are doing. It is time to change course.”

The comments come as First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, said she hoped the UK Government would “rethink” the winter fuel cut policy. In a speech marking one year to the 2026 Senedd election, she said she would “call out" Labour in Westminster when it "gets it wrong for Wales".