As has been widely reported, Keir Starmer has been forced to say he will ‘loosen the eligibility criteria’ for winter fuel payment.

This is a massive U-turn and one that would not have happened without the campaigns and protests against this and other welfare benefit cuts.

It is not enough, but it is a start and shows that protest does work. We must now increase the pressure on the government to ensure that winter fuel payments are returned to all pensioners, that the cuts to disability benefits are reversed, and that the benefit cap and 2 child cap are abolished.

And this is just for starters. We need to build a mass movement that demands an end to all austerity and the huge inequality we now have.  Austerity is a political and ideological choice and in a rich sovereign state like the U.K., we could choose to do things differently, such as tax the very rich a bit more, invest in jobs, infrastructure, housing, education, our vital public services and more besides.

So, it is even more essential that we take to the streets of London on June 7th in our hundreds of thousands to demand an end to cuts and austerity.

Join the fightback! See you on the streets!