Jeremy Vine’s show stirred controversy with viewers (Image: Channel 5)
The public is still reeling from the draconian decision made by the government last year to remove millions of pensioners’ Winter Fuel Allowances.
To add insult to injury, the Show guest Stella Tsantekidou then made the claim that it is workers who are losing. She stated: “I struggle whenever people say the system is unfair to pensioners when it’s working people who are missing out.”
The debate began as Jeremy first chatted with a caller about whether state pensions should be axed for the ultra-wealthy to allow less affluent older people to get their needs met. “Do you think the government would be right to take the pension away from richer pensioners, just like they’ve taken the Winter Fuel Allowance away?” Jeremy quizzed Martin of Manchester.
The caller warned: “I don’t think they should be taking it away in that method. However, I do think that if you pay tax at a higher rate, then [the pension you receive] should be on a sliding scale.” Jeremy pointed out that a huge amount was at stake, commenting that the benefit could be worth half a million pounds to those fortunate enough to have a long life.
He added his view on the injustice of pensions being taken into account when calculating Brits’ annual tax bills, “even though it’s a benefit”. “That seems unfair, Stella – or does it not?” Jeremy asked, turning to one of this morning’s controversial panellists, who would leave viewers open-mouthed with her response.
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“I think the whole system is broken – and I struggle whenever people say the system is unfair towards pensioners in any way when it’s so obviously the working people who are missing out!” she argued.
“The problem is I have all the sympathy in the world for anyone who is struggling, but the generation of pensioners, they have a lot of benefits which we didn’t have.”
Viewers exploded with rage when they took to X, with one exclaiming: “Oh come on @JeremyVineOn5, you’re having a laugh! The system is unfair to everyone, except the bureaucrats who run it! Pensioners have paid their dues, let’s not punish them for living longer.”
Another replied to lament: “They do not want pensioners to live longer – that’s their point. They don’t like paying out & they are making that very obvious. A very cruel Government. Foreigners are looked after better than our Pensioners & people.”
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“Perhaps she could tell us what benefits pensioners received. We went to work, paid tax and Nat Insurance!” a third stated indiginantly.
“Basically this person doesn’t know wtf she’s talking about,” agreed a fourth.
Someone else that suggested that “pensioners built the world the young benefit from” – something the viewer felt could all be threatened if Labour made the decision to “leap into AI”.
“It will kill human interaction, you can’t speak to a human now – AI will destroy any chance of culpability,” he concluded.
It had recently been announced that Labour would like Britain to become a world leader on AI and that the party had criticised the Tory government for previously holding back over safety and regulation fears.