Yvette Cooper found herself embroiled in an embarrassing verbal spat with an irate voter who accused her of being “two-faced” for handing out mince pies while pensioners are “freezing to death.”
The Home Secretary was put in a deeply uncomfortable position during her visit to Knottingley, West Yorkshire, when she dished out festive treats to residents.
A heated exchange ensued, with the voter telling Ms Cooper that rather than taking part in the publicity stunt, she would be better off providing blankets for elderly people struggling to stay warm, following Labour’s decision to cut winter fuel payments.
The incident, which was captured on video and which has been shared on social media, underlines simmering tensions over government policies and the cost of living crisis.
Prior to the confrontation, Ms Cooper approaches the voter in a supermarket in the Yorkshire town of Knottingley and offers her a plate of mince pies.
However, the woman refuses, instead lambasting the Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley MP for various Government decisions, including Labour’s scrapping of the Rwanda asylum scheme and its decision not to compensate the so-called WASPI women affected by state pension age changes.
Describing Labour as a “joke,” the woman also accuses the party of blocking donations to Reform UK from billionaire Elon Musk, in reference to claims by Nigel Farage that Musk was ready to donate millions of pounds.
Ms Cooper, sporting a Santa hat, seeks to steer the conversation towards Labour’s migration policies and the festive spirit, saying of the giveaway: “We do it every Christmas. Everybody’s got different views, haven’t they, but it is Christmas time.”
However, this fails to placate the unseen voter, who refuses the offer of a mince pie, adding: “That is so two-faced… pensioners are freezing to death. They’re freezing, Yvette.
“I’m just shocked seeing you in Knottingley, giving mince pies out to people. For what reason?”
She further suggests heating the mince pies to keep pensioners warm, before adding that she believes Ms Cooper will not win re-election in 2029.
She continues: “You’ve betrayed everything that everybody voted for you for.”
Labour’s decision to cut winter fuel payments has even resulted in a parody charity single titled “Freezing This Christmas” performed by “Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers.”
It has climbed to the top of the Official Download Chart and Official Sales Chart with more than 14,000 sales.
Ms Cooper tried to draw the unwanted encounter to a dignified conclusion by wishing the woman a “lovely Christmas” only for her to shoot back: “I hope you don’t.”
Widespread reports have suggested the voter in question was a prominent member of Reform.
However, a party spokesman told Express.co.uk they had “no idea who she was”.
Express.co.uk has approached Ms Cooper via her Parliamentary office for comment.
