Sir Keir Starmer is refusing to back down in the row over scrapping winter fuel payments.
Downing Street said there was no discussion on softening the impact of the plans to axe the allowance for all but the country’s poorest pensioners at Cabinet today.
It comes after Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson suggested during the broadcast round that the policy could be eased.
Her comments prompted Government sources to insist that she had “misspoke”.
Asked whether Dame Diana had been “freelancing” when she said mitigations were being looked at by ministers, a No 10 spokeswoman said: “I think it was promptly corrected.”
Downing Street added that the Prime Minister will always be “straight with the public” when asked if he was worried that people had formed the wrong impression of his Government over the winter fuel policy.
The spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister has always been clear that he will always be straight with the public about the tough decisions that this Government has to take.”
Asked whether Sir Keir was worried that pensioners may die as a result of the move, the spokeswoman added that “the focus of Government is ensuring that support is properly targeted to those that need it”.
Downing Street also said that whipping for the vote over the cuts was not discussed at Cabinet.
It comes as Sir Keir is facing a rebellion when the measure comes to the Commons tomorrow.
A dozen Labour backbenchers have signed a motion put forward by one of the party’s new MPs, Neil Duncan-Jordan, calling on the Government to delay implementing the policy.
The motion has also been signed by six of the seven Labour MPs who lost the whip in July after voting against the King’s Speech over the Government’s refusal to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves will address a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party later today in an effort to address backbench concerns.
Ms Reeves sparked a backlash when she announced in July that winter fuel payments would be restricted to only those on pension credit.
She blamed a £22 billion black hole in the public finances left by the Tories, which they have denied.
