Hello, I'm Sean Curran and this is yesterday in Parliament from BBC Radio 4.

Sarkia Stama defended the government's decision to means-test winter fuel payments for pensioners

when he faced Prime Minister's questions on Wednesday the 7th of May.

It was the first time he'd faced MPs since the local elections.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have been nursing dense to their pride after last week's

local elections. But whatever was being said behind closed doors, Labour MPs gave Secure Stama

a noisy welcome when he arrived for Prime Minister's questions.

Labour's election post-mortem has seen a group of about 45 MPs call on the Prime Minister

to focus on winning back the support of voters in Northern England and the Midlands.

They're particularly concerned about the decision to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Leader of the opposition can be better.

And the Conservative leader was keen to exacerbate the tensions in the government's ranks.

Does the Prime Minister now admit that he was wrong to remove the winter fuel payment

from millions of pensions?

Minister, Mr Speaker, the number one job of this government was to put our finances back

in order after the last government lost control.

Secere Stama said the government had stabilised the economy

and was committed to the triple lock,

which he said had increased pensions by £470 last year.

And he repeated a familiar message

that Labour was dealing with a £22 billion black hole

in the public finances,

...