Okehampton’s MP has told prime minister Keir Starmer that taking away the winter fuel allowance from hundreds of thousands of British pensioners is ‘not good governing’.

Mel Stride, the Central Devon MP, who had hoped to become next leader of the Conservative party until he was ruled out of the contest yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, was speaking after the Government won a vote on the issue.

A motion to stop Labour’s move to cut the allowance for all but the poorest pensioners was lost by 348 votes to 228, with just one Labour MP, former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, voting against his party. Fifty-two MPs abstained, which was at the higher end of expectations.

Mr Stride, who is the shadow work and pensions secretary, said the cut had come as a ‘complete shock’ to pensioners.

He said Labour had offered no explanation about why the decision was so urgent.

“This is not good governing,” he told the House of Commons. He said the policy was ‘absurd’ and would cause ‘untold hardship’.

How Devon’s MPs voted:

In favour of the Government – Luke Pollard (Lab, Plymouth Sutton and Devonport); Steve Race (Lab, Exeter) and Fred Thomas (Lab, Plymouth Moor View).

Against the Government – David Reed (Con, Exmouth and Exeter East); Rebecca Smith (Con, South West Devon); Mel Stride (Con, Central Devon); Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Torbay); Richard Foord (Lib Dem, Honiton and Sidmouth); Rachel Gilmour (Lib Dem, Tiverton and Minehead); Ian Roome (Lib Dem, North Devon); Caroline Voaden (Lib Dem, South Devon) and Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem, Newton Abbot).

No vote recorded – Geoffrey Cox (Con, Torridge and Tavistock).

At the time of writing, it is not known whether Sir Geoffrey was ‘paired’ with a Labour MP, meaning he didn’t have to take part as his vote would effectively have been cancelled out.

Before the vote, Mr Darling said: “I’ve been contacted by dozens and dozens of residents on this matter.

“Under the previous government, lots of pensioners were dragged into paying tax from their modest pensions, and now the new government is set to give them a double whammy by withdrawing the winter fuel allowance.”

Labour claims increases to the basis state pension will pay more than the annual one-off heating allowance they introduced in 1997, and that they will encourage greater take-up of pension credit by eligible households so that the winter fuel allowance will be more targeted.