A parody song taking aim at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for stripping millions of pensioners of their winter fuel payments has topped download charts, but those behind it are blasting radio stations for refusing to play it.
Freezing This Christmas – a rewritten version of Christmas classic Lonely This Christmas – has topped the EE Big Top 40, which ranks songs based on Apple streams and downloads.
The song, by ‘Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers’, mocks the decision to strip up to 10 million pensioners of the winter fuel payment based on new means-tested criteria.
Lyrics to the song include: ‘It’ll be freezing this Christmas, without fuel at home, it’ll be freezing this Christmas, while Keir Starmer is warm.
‘It’ll be cold, so cold, without fuel at home, this Christmas.’
But the musicians behind the hit song have claimed their efforts to win the title of Christmas No.1 are being thwarted by radio stations refusing to play it to their audiences.
Freelance writer and marketer Chris Middleton, 33, spent an hour writing the lyrics to the song.
Despite describing himself as ‘not very political’, he told the Telegraph he felt drawn to create it: ‘I felt obligated to take on the issue. Pensioners have told me they feel abandoned.’
The song, by ‘Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers’, mocks the decision to strip up to 10 million pensioners of the winter fuel payment based on new means-tested criteria
Sir Keir Starmer’s government has stripped many pensioners of the payout after discovering a £22billion black hole in the country’s finances
The musicians behind the hit song have claimed their efforts to win the title of Christmas No.1 are being thwarted by radio stations refusing to play it to their audiences
He accused Starmer of ‘hypocrisy’ and hit out at the politician for not putting the changes to winter fuel payments in his manifesto.
Mr Middleton enlisted Rat Pack tribute singer Dean Ager, 51, to help bring the song – which has so far raised £15,000 for Age UK – to life.
Mr Ager hit out at radio platforms for not playing the song, saying: ‘I’ve not heard it one time – I get being impartial, but surely that contradicts freedom of speech.
‘If it’s not being played, it’s raising less money, and this message shouldn’t be blocked.’
He added: ‘There are so many people out there suffering because Labour took away the allowance. They should reverse it – we all make mistakes.’
As well as parodying the traditional lyrics, the song uses audio clips of Sir Keir and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves speaking during media interviews.
A clip from the Prime Minister speaking to Good Housekeeping April, in which he said of one pensioner: ‘She told me that she doesn’t get out of bed till midday because she doesn’t want to turn the heating on,’ is heard during the song.
And Rachel Reeves is heard saying: ‘We inherited a situation where there was a £22billion black hole in the public finances’.
There is also a spoken word verse in which former Conservative Prime Minister – who suffered the party’s worst election defeat in modern political history in July – is praised.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also mentioned in the song, with writers describing her as a ‘fraud’
Mr Middleton and Mr Ager are urging fans to continue streaming the song in a bid to make their way up the official charts
The music video, shot in black and white, featured crying pensioners clutching blankets and counting coins
The song has topped EE’s chart and is currently number 85 in the official charts
Lyrics include: ‘Do you remember last year, when Rishi was here, we never thought there’d be an end.’
By comparison Starmer is referred to as ‘Two Tier Keir’ and Rachel Reeves is called a ‘fraud’.
Mr Middleton and Mr Ager are urging fans to continue streaming the song in a bid to make their way up the official charts.
The song was at number 85 in mid-week rankings, but a source from the Official Charts Company told the Telegraph they expect a much better ranking come Friday.
They described the song as a ‘classic last-minute charity-comedy contender’.
Profits from the song are to be handed over to charities catering to the elderly, including Age UK.
It comes after polling showed more than half of pensioners who are losing out on the payment this year intend to turn down their heating in order to afford their bills.
Almost a third (32 percent) of those aged 65 and over said they plan to have a more miserable Christmas period, spending less on gifts and festive food and drink.
Meanwhile 35 percent said they will make other cutbacks on essential items, while one in six said they will cut down on food.
Sir Keir made improving living standards a key target as he outlined the ‘next phase’ of his Government earlier this month, saying he wanted to see real household disposable income rise across the country by the next election.
Living standards flatlined over the course of the last Parliament, with real household disposable income rising by a record-low 0.3 per cent per year – something Labour regards as a key factor behind the collapse in support for the Conservatives and a potential source of support for populist parties.
But millions of pensioners remain worried they will not be able to afford heating after having their annual support payment cut off.
A spokesperson for the BBC denied the corporation is blocking the song being played, stating it does not have ‘specific policies on tracks or ban any songs.’
They added: ‘Decisions on what we play are always made with the relevant audiences and context in mind.’
Global was contacted for comment.