Wes Streeting has defended Labour’s “unpopular” winter fuel payments decision and warned of more “bumps in the road” over the coming years. The Health Secretary insisted scrapping winter fuel payments for 11million pensioners and hiking employers’ National Insurance contributions were “necessary” to “rescue” public services.

The government fears further electoral losses from the unpopular policy as well as from planned £5bn of benefits cuts.

Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party snatched a critical parliamentary seat from the governing Labour Party.