‘Keir Starmer is pulling us all down!’ Blackpool pensioners reveal what they really think of Labour Leader

Blackpool boys born between 2021 and 2023 are expected to live for just 73.1 years. This is six years lower than the UK average for men of 79 years.

To gauge the reaction of elderly Britons living in Blackpool this morning, Reaper visited the seaside town.

She asked : “So, Derek and Jill. Blackpool is a town that obviously has a lot of deprivation and poverty. Do you think the government is doing enough to support Blackpool?”

Derek replied: “I would say it’s early days yet. I mean, it’s unfortunate the fact that we’ve got a lawyer in charge of things and they are never the answer to anything, in my opinion.

“But there is money, and money isn’t the answer to anything either.”

Reaper said: “Jill, what about you? Are they doing enough?”

“Oh, I don’t think they are. I think Starmer should up his game and think of the people instead of thinking of the fat cats. I don’t think he is thinking of the pensioners.

“He’s just pulling us all down. He’s only been in a few weeks. And what’s happened?”

Reaper also spoke to Stephen Whittaker, a 66-year-old retiree. She asked him about Keir Starmer’s cut to the winter fuel allowance.

Whittaker said: “At the minute I can, I can manage. But any increase is worrying.

“But even if you were to pay like an extra £50 a month or something like that, now I don’t do as much work because I’m obviously I’m retired, I’m a little bit nervy of what’s coming down the line.

“You know, you just don’t know. One minute they say this is going up, like that council tax increase, although I will get certain allowances.

“But still you have to watch the pennies you know. I mean, when I go food shopping, I wouldn’t say I’m watching every penny, but I’m monitoring what I spend.

“I’ll say, right I’ll buy this, but I won’t buy that. I’m not the only person, there will be quite a few in a similar situation.”

Reaper then said: “Well, it’s a scary situation. And I mean, once a person reaches retirement, the whole point is that you’re supposed to be able to enjoy the rest of your life in peace, not worrying about every penny.”

Reaper also spoke to Stuart Hutton-Brown, CEO and Founder of the mental health charity Counselling in the Community.

Asked about the importance of his charity in somewhere as deprived as Blackpool, Hutton-Brown said: “Where there is deprivation, there will be mental health issues. They sit hand in hand.

“We work with 150 people a week. In our busiest week we saw 174 people. The town’s crying out for more mental health support.

“But we have 116 volunteers who willingly give their time to help. We now have three sites across Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde. So we cover the whole coast.”

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Stuart Hutton-Brown on counselling and mental health issues in Blackpool

Stuart Hutton-Brown on counselling and mental health issues in Blackpool

Reaper then asked: “In terms of mental health support and just wider support for Blackpool, do you think the government is doing enough?

“It’s difficult to tell,” said Hutton-Brown. “I know we don’t get any support from government, local government and the main government.

“I know there’s a levelling up money due to be coming into town. And Chris Webber, the local MP, has stated that he’s bringing money into town, which would be fantastic.

“I mean, you’ve only got to look out of the window to see what’s going on around us. It’s crying out for help.”

In July, voters in Blackpool South elected Labour’s Chris Webb with a 6,000 majority. Reform UK came second with 10,068 votes and the Conservatives third with 5,504 votes.

A recent poll by Find Out Now put Reform on 24 percentage points UK-wide which, if extrapolated for a General Election, would see the party win 95 seats.

One of those 95 seats was Blackpool South.