Labour shifts poll tactics to target fearful Tory over-65s

Labour is to wage a new campaign to win over Tory-supporting pensioners in an attempt to neutralise one of the government’s last remaining electoral strengths, amid evidence the Conservatives are now performing as badly among the age group as they did under Liz Truss’s leadership.

A private focus group run by Labour in the past week convinced its most senior officials that the announcement by Hunt is a huge blunder.

Insiders said that “pensioner hero voters” – those who backed the Tories last time but who may switch to Labour – compared the move to Truss’s doomed plan for £45bn in unfunded tax cuts during her brief prime ministership.

“Their primary concern is that it is a huge unfunded spending commitment,” states an internal memo composed by Labour’s strategy chief, Deborah Mattinson.

Older voters in Labour’s focus groups were also said to be worried that removing national insurance would prevent funds being poured into the struggling health service.

“Labour, on the other hand, have pledged to deliver a commitment they’ve costed at £28bn by 2030, which would create a huge black hole in the nation’s finances.”