A government minister was asked “do you sleep well” after he voted to remove up to £300 in winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.
Matthew Pennycook was put on the spot after Keir Starmer survived a backbench rebellion to force the controversial policy through the House of Commons on Tuesday.
More than 50 Labour MPs failed to vote for the move, but only one - Jon Trickett - voted against it.
In a statement later, the MP said: “I will sleep well tonight knowing I voted to protect my constituents.”
On Sky News this morning, presenter Kay Burley told housing minister Pennycook: “Jon Trickett was the sole sitting Labour MP to vote against the government’s move. He says he can’t sleep well knowing pensioners would have £300 taken off them, so he’s voted against it.
“Do you sleep well knowing that’s what you’ve done?”
As Pennycook began to answer, Burley told him: “It’s a very straightforward question.”
The minister said: “All of us took that decision with an extremely heavy heart.”
Burley then asked him again: “Do you sleep well knowing that you’ve taken £300 off pensioners.”
Pennycook replied: “I don’t think it’s a reasonable question.”
The presenter then hit back: Why not? Why is it not a reasonable question? You’re hear representing the government this morning.”
The minister said: “We all took that decision with a heavy heart. No one expected to have to make that choice. There are no pain-free options when it comes to closing that £22 billion gap of unfunded spending commitments that we have to do this year.
“We think it is right to means test the winter fuel payment, both because there are people who receive it that don’t need it, but because that protection is in place for lower income pensioners who are the most vulnerable and need help this winter.”
Earlier in the interview, Pennycook had insisted there would be no government climbdown, despite the furious backlash from opposition parties and campaigners.
He said: “We’re not going to water down that policy.”