Sir Keir Starmer was given a symbolic bloody nose by trade unions today as the Labour Party Conference voted to reinstate universal winter fuel payments for pensioners.Delegates narrowly voted to restore the cash lump sum on the last day what should have been a triumphant celebration for the new Government in Liverpool to show their displeasure at one of its first major policy changes.It came after days of protests, led by Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), against the decision to make the payment means-tested, as part of cost-cutting plans by Rachel Reeves.Composite 15, moved by Unite and seconded by the CWU, was carried following a vote of Labour delegates on the conference floor. But there was some disquiet at the decision in the room.Sir Keir was not present for a debate on the controversial policy at the conference in Liverpool. Although the loss is only symbolic, because the decision has been voted into law, it underlines the scale of anger at the government on the issue.Addressing conference, Unite secretary general Sharon Graham blasted ministers for cutting cash handouts for the old while leaving the superrich ‘untouched’, adding: ‘This is not what people voted for, it’s the wrong decision and it needs to be reversed.’After the vote Jon Trickett, the former frontbencher who was the only Labour MP to vote against the winter fuel payment cut in the Commons, said: ‘Unions and party delegates were not persuaded to vote for cuts to winter fuel allowance. The conference spoke for poorer pensioners.’It came after Sir Keir, who is in New York for the United Nation General Assembly, refused four times to apologise for making the change. It came after days of protests, led by Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU), against the decision to make the payment means-tested, as part of cost-cutting plans by Rachel Reeves . Keir Starmer has refused four times to apologise for stripping winter fuel payments from pensioners  Addressing conference, Unite secretary general Sharon Graham blasted ministers for cutting cash handouts for the old while leaving the superrich ‘untouched’, adding: ‘This is not what people voted for, it’s the wrong decision and it needs to be reversed.’ The PM was repeatedly challenged to say sorry to vulnerable old people who were losing out on up to £300, but blamed the Tories for ‘putting him in this position’. The defiant stance came in a bruising clash with Susanna Reid on ITV’s Good Morning Morning Britain before he headed for a UN summit in New York.Asked how he could justify the cut, Sir Keir said: ‘Well, it’s tough and I think the first thing to say and to explain is why we had to do it. ‘We inherited a really damaged economy, we did an audit and we discovered an undisclosed £22billion black hole this year, which we have to fix.’  The defiant stance came in a bruising clash with Susanna Reid on ITV ‘s Good Morning Morning Britain before he headed for a UN summit in New York The Unite union staged a protest at Labour conference today ahead of a vote on the issue Pressed if he wanted to apologise to pensioners, Sir Keir said: ‘Well, I am really concerned that we’ve been put in this position. ‘When you inherit an economy with £22 billion missing, it is a really difficult set of choices. ‘But what I don’t want to do is to allow the economy to run out of control. What I want to make sure is that every single pensioner, there is that increase through the triple lock each and every year…’ Told again that he had an opportunity to say sorry, the PM said: ‘The people who should be saying sorry are the last government who left a hole of £22billion, and they should be sorry for that and they should apologise for that.’ Reid persisted ‘so you’re not going to apologise?’Sir Keir said: ‘I’ve come in to fix the mess, fix the problems, and that’s tough, really tough decisions. ‘The cost of not doing it is to run the risk that we lose control of the economy again. ‘I’m not going to do that because if I do, you will be saying to me in two or three years’ time, if we lose control of the economy, will you now say sorry for having lost control of the economy?’  Pressed if he wanted to apologise to pensioners, Sir Keir said: ‘Well, I am really concerned that we’ve been put in this position.’The motion was originally set to be debated on Monday – but was rescheduled for after Sir Keir had given his big speech and departed amid rumours of backroom manoeuvring.It called for means testing of the winter fuel allowance to be reversed and for an end to fiscal rules which prevent borrowing to invest, as well as the introduction of a wealth tax. Ms Graham had already suggested the payment cut could leave vulnerable dead before she took to the stage.And in a tubthumping speech she said: ‘Friends, we are the sixth richest economy in the world – we have the money. Britain needs investment, not austerity mark two.’We won’t get any gold badges for shaving peanuts off our debt. These fiscal rules are self-imposed and the decision to keep them is hanging like a noose around our necks.’She added: ‘Yes, Britain is broken and, yes, the Tories have left the mess and, yes, they are to blame. But Labour is now in Government and we cannot keep making everyday people pay.’Senior CWU officials will not be at Labour’s conference today as they are attending the funeral in Scotland of the union’s former assistant general secretary Andy Kerr, who used to be on Labour’s national executive.Alan Tate, from the London CWU, said: ‘For our members the important work that the Government, a Labour Government, has begun has been overshadowed by the winter fuel cut.’He added: ‘The CWU has been inundated with emails and calls from our retired members worried about choosing between heating and eating.’Experts are warning this could increase the risk of illness or even death for vulnerable people this winter.’Now we’ve heard from both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor describe this cut as a ‘tough choice’.’But, conference, the tough choice is not about switching off pensioners’ heating this winter.’The real choice is about picking up the phone to the tech giants like Amazon and the ultra wealthy and making them pay their fair share of tax.’Mr Tate said Labour should be taxing the rich rather than ‘taking away a lifeline for vulnerable people’.