CONSTITUENTS in Clydebank are furious that the Labour Party voted to cut the Pensioner's Winter Fuel Allowance in a recent vote in the UK parliament.

Every Scottish Labour MP that went down to Westminster on a supposed ticket of ‘change’, has decided instead to punish pensioners, knowing full well that Scottish pensioners will face the coldest winters.

Unfortunately, this includes our town’s MP, Douglas McAllister, who has made a conscious decision to leave pensioners to struggle and face a difficult winter.

My SNP colleagues in Westminster rightly voted against this cruel Labour cut and will continue to oppose further austerity measures down the line.

Whether I agreed with it or not, a majority in West Dunbartonshire voted for the Labour Party at the General Election to see real ‘change’, to get away from years of Tory austerity.

But what we are seeing is just austerity mark two.

Anas Sarwar MSP, the Scottish Branch Office Labour Leader, promised no austerity. He promised no cuts. We all remember his “read my lips” pledge of no austerity under Labour.

It was not true.

READ MORE: MSP says decision to cut winter fuel payments is 'betrayal'

In their first few months they have retained the abhorrent two-child cap, and now cut the pensioner's winter fuel payment.

Alongside third-sector organisations, the SNP has been calling on the UK Government to U-turn on this decision, which looks set to see almost 900,000 pensioners across Scotland miss out on the £300 payment this winter.

This is vital financial support which is really needed at a time when energy bills increase in the colder months.

Astonishingly Douglas is suggesting that this decision doesn’t have an impact in Scotland. This is either him being extremely naive or deliberately trying to mislead. The decision he supports has Barnett consequentials.

This means the Labour Government’s decision reduces the Scottish block grant relating to the devolution of the winter fuel payment by around £160 million in 2024/25.

This callous cut equates to nearly 90 per cent of the cost the pension age winter fuel payment in Scotland.

No New Labour spin will be able to shake these facts off. They will be remembered as the party that turned their backs on thousands of pensioners on low income at a time when energy prices are on the rise.

So, I am calling on Douglas, and his colleagues to reverse this decision to ensure our pensioners don’t face extreme hardship.

I also urge pensioners in Clydebank to check if they are entitled to pension credit as this is one way to keep the winter fuel payment. Please seek assistance from the excellent advice staff in West Dunbartonshire who are there to help.