York's two Labour MPs have been divided over the Winter Fuel Payment vote.

As previously reported by The Press, the House of Commons was set to vote today (September 10) on a Conservative motion to annul the Government’s controversial cuts to winter fuel payments.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell has said that she cannot vote for cuts to winter fuel payments over concerns it will cause harm to pensioners in poverty.

Ms Maskell, who held a Westminster Hall debate on the topic earlier today, said it will lead to pensioners not putting the heating on, because they cannot afford to do so.

She said: "We are getting the letters coming in, we are looking at the figures that our constituents have to look at every single day. And they are scared.

"They are telling us they are frightened, because they won’t switch the switch. Because they know if they do, they will have bills that they cannot pay.

"And we need to protect those very vulnerable people."

Ms Maskell, who abstained in the vote, added that pensioners would further be deterred by applying for pension credit as they would have to answer 243 questions on the application form, and then wait a nine week wait.

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She later added: "It’s my conscience that I cannot vote for these measures, but I am determined to work with government to find the mitigation that is absolutely crucial. Age UK say it’s too late to find alternatives, they say delay, I say, let’s delay."

The Conservative Party motion to annul the Government’s cuts to winter fuel payments was defeated by 348 votes to 228, majority 120. No vote was recorded for 53 Labour MPs.

Shouts of "shame" could be heard in the House of Commons chamber as the result of the vote was announced, according to PA News Agency.

Among the 348 MPs who voted against the Conservative motion was Luke Charters, MP for York Outer.

He said: "I wanted to set out why I'm voting to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance. That's a really tough but necessary decision we've got to make.

"Just days after coming into Government the true state of our economic inheritance from the Conservative Government became clear. A mess that we've got to clean up, a £21.9 billion black hole.

"It's that reason that we're having to make this really difficult decision today.

"When we (Labour) were last in in Government we did bring down pensioner poverty and we will do it again.

"I'm also encouraged by the fact that the state pension will rise by more than £400 next year, as (Sir) Keir Starmer said, we will fix the foundations of our economy and our country."

The Conservative motion to annul the Government’s cuts to winter fuel payments was defeated by 348 votes to 228, majority 120, in the House of Commons.