Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar addressed accusations that he has 'u-turned' his decision on winter fuel payments by forcing a vote to reinstate the benefit which was cut by Westminster.

On a visit to Clydebank, Sarwar was asked whether he was 'confusing' the public about the party's stance on the winter fuel payment after it was announced last week that Scottish Labour would bring in re-designed payments.

The new payment would lower the bar for those who would receive them if the party won the 2026 Holyrood election.

He said: "I've been really clear about this from the start, I've always thought that the threshold of pension credit was too low and there are lots of individuals and families who would be missing out on pension credit who do require support this year.

"We suggested an alternative from the outside, there's a different approach here in Scotland because there was £41 million of additional money available to the Household Support Fund that is designed to support low-income households with their bills. 

"What we're saying is we should take the power back from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and find a Scottish solution and the solution we have suggested is to reinstate the winter fuel payment."

In Glasgow, the city’s six Labour MPs all voted with the Government to cut the payment and only one Labour MP in the UK voted to keep the benefit for all pensioners.

Sarwar was asked whether he regretted the Labour MPs' decisions, to which he said their choice helped 'end austerity' and 'fill the £22billion financial black hole.'

He added: "Fundamentally it's Scottish Labour MPs that believe in devolution, not Tory or Labour or your SNP MPs. They don't believe in devolution.

"That's why this was supposed to be a devolved benefit, we're suggesting a different approach here in Scotland.

"I think what people will be confused about is why the Scottish Government chose to hand the power back to Westminster rather than to keep this as they devolve benefit now. I don't agree with the pension credit threshold. I've said that repeatedly."