When Unite Union’s general secretary Sharon Unite took to the main conference stage to call for a reversal of Rachel Reeves’ “cruel” winter fuel payments, the hall erupted into several tireless rounds of applause.

Standing ovations and fist raising followed suit.

She made a fierce plea for the fuel allowance to be returned to up to 10 million pensioners who have now had it picked from their pockets.

This is the moment union organisers, Labour members and the media had been waiting for. The crescendo, which had been building up since Sunday, led to this moment.

But the mood music at the Liverpool event soon took a turn.

There were multiple standing ovations when a delegate who had been receiving the allowance argued in favour of cutting it.

Labour member Maggie Cosin said she did not need the winter fuel payment and the money should be used to help children and others in need.

The member from Dover and Deal Constituency Labour Party told conference: “Every single year, £200 comes into my bank account and every year I go and buy stuff for the food bank with it.

“I don’t need it, the children of this country need it.”

Ms Cosin said there is a need to “sort the economy”, adding: “It’s not a matter of taking it away from poor pensioners, it’s a matter of getting it to others.”

A younger delegate who followed after received more praise from the packed hall when she called for it to be axed.

At this moment. the result of this vote looked very uncertain.

Minutes later, the audience was asked to raise their hands if they were in favour of the motion. Half the room raised their hands.

They were then asked to raise their hands if they were against it. Half the room’s palms went up towards the roof.

Low whispers echoed across the hall which almost 24 hours earlier was heaving for Sir Keir Starmer’s speech.

Ultimately, the chair decided to pass the motion which led to some shaking of heads among some corners while union leaders jumped for joy – literally.

If that doesn’t highlight the splits within Labour on this issue, I don’t know what does.

Someone behind me made a half-hearted attempt at chanting “save the winter fuel payment” which echoed out of the conference earlier today but that fell flat.

Sir Keir is now almost 3,300 miles away from Liverpool attending a United Nations meeting in New York.

But he has not been spared the humiliation.

This was a rebuke from his supporters and paymaster over one of the first financial decisions taken by Labour in office is an embarrassment for No 10.

Thankfully for the new PM, the vote is non-binding so he won’t be held sausage by the unions

But after just 83 days in power, Sir Keir has seemingly lost the support of many in his party.