Lee Anderson has eight-word warning for 'Sir Keir Stasi' as he returns to House of Commons

Reform MP Lee Anderson has reacted with disdain to claims that Labour were forced to scrap the winter fuel payment to stop a run on the pound.

Writing on X on the day that MPs return to Westminster following the summer break, the Ashfield MP vowed to hold Labour, insisting “the fox is back in the Hen House” in an eight-word warning to PM Keir Starmer.

Sharing a picture of today's Daily Express front page which retells how the winter fuel payments chaos unfolded, the former Tory party deputy chaiman added: "What's next? Our OAP's bus passes?

"No more hiding for Sir Keir Stasi and his Dancing Deputy. We're back in the Big House today and Reform is the only party that will hold Labour to account. Get ready for them dodging the questions and running away from any scrutiny."

The scrapping of the winter fuel payment which provides £200 for pensioners under 80 and £300 for those over that age, was announced within days of Chancellor Rachel Reeves taking office in an effort to save £1.5 billion.

The Commons leader Lucy Powell claimed this weekend that the government was left with little choice but to make the cut, a claim that has been met with disdain from MPs and campaigners.

The Commons Leaders suggested there would be a run on the pound if the government had not found ways to save cash to deal this year to fill a shortfall in finances.

“If we hadn’t had done so we would have all but likely seen the markets losing confidence in this country, the cost of borrowing going up, a run on the pound possibly and the pound crashing,” she said.

Ms Powell was asked if she could foresee any scenario where the decision could be reversed and replied: "I don't."

Shadow Treasury Minister Laura Trott said the claims made by Ms Powell were not believable.

She said: “This simply shows how desperate the new Labour government is to run from responsibility for the tax rises they always planned but hid from the public during the election.

“After handing billions in inflation-busting pay rises to their union paymasters, no one believes Labour’s chicken little strategy.

“They should stop trying to deceive the public with ridiculous fantasies and instead have the courage to let parliament debate cuts to Winter Fuel Payments for the sake of those pensioners who will lose out thanks to the decisions of this government.”

Labour was accused of “disliking” pensioners as it doubled down on the plans to strip them of cash.

Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith warned the government intends to “hit hard” those who have saved and looked after their families when it imposes higher taxes next month.

But the senior Tory also hit out at his own party’s “shambolic” election campaign that had let Sir Keir Starmer “off the hook”.

Sir Iain told GB News: “You know realise to what degree they were not cross examined enough during the course of a long period in opposition because we became such a shambolic mess, arguing among ourselves, that the biggest problem was Labour got off the hook.

“Their manifesto said nothing. They talked about vaguely not raising taxes but now what do we realise?

“We realise actually they actually had an agenda of who they dislike most of all, pensioners, and people who they say aren’t workers because they have actually worked hard, saved and put into investments.”

Tax hikes are planned for the October budget, although the government has refused to say so far which ones will be raised.

Sir Iain said Labour was planning to “hit very hard” people who had worked hard and looked after their families instead of relying on the state.