Chancellor says £22bn gap in current spending budget and state pension rise meant she had to make decision on means-testing fuel payments. Early evening summary 18:20 Rachel Reeves has defended her decisions to cut the winter fuel allowance and abandon infrastructure projects as she argued the decisions taken in the early weeks of the Labour government would pave the way to a more optimistic economic future.

Rachel Reeves defended winter fuel cuts as the “right decision” and insisted pensioners most in need will still receive help. In a speech to the Labour conference that was disrupted by hecklers, the Chancellor said she would not “duck” difficult decisions.

Unison and GMB understood to be likely to back motion to reverse policy. No 10 is braced for a potential defeat on a Labour conference vote to condemn cuts to the winter fuel allowance, as major trade unions lined up to back the motion to reverse Rachel Reeves’s decision.

Rachel Reeves gives speech after crowd boos winter fuel allowance debate delay - Labour delegates protest over decision to delay vote on winter fuel payments cut ahead of Reeves’ speech

Boos were heard at the Labour conference hall in Liverpool as complaints were raised about a debate on union calls for the winter fuel allowance cuts to be reversed not taking place on Monday. Unite's Andy Green said: "This is simply an attempt to take out the debate on the winter fuel allowance.

Labour conference-goers descended into boos and heckles this morning after the party stitched up a vote on Winter Fuel Payments to avoid a political headache.Unions reacted with fury after their debate on Winter Fuel was pushed back to Wednesday,