By an overwhelming margin, the biggest issue that I’m currently being contacted about is the removal of the universal Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners.

Before the election, I said I would be absolutely straight with people, no matter the issue, and, as I only know one way, let me be straight with readers now.

The decision to scrap the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners who are not in receipt of Pension Credit was not one that we wanted to make, but the reason that we are taking it now is to protect public finances so we can begin the process of changing our economic fortunes - which was the mandate we were given.

It should never be forgotten that it was the last Conservative government that left us in this mess, by wrecking our economy and leaving a £22bn black hole in the public finances. They made commitments they couldn’t pay for, covered it up and ran away.

The Labour government will protect the triple lock on pensions, which saw the new state Pension rise by £900 in April this year. A further increase in the state pension will be announced in the Budget in October.

Not acting was not an option. This Labour Government is not prepared to risk our financial stability in the way that Liz Truss did.

However, I have to tell you, there will be more tough choices ahead on spending, welfare and tax. We are not going to pretend otherwise.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has spoken about a decade of national renewal because he knows, as the country knows, it will take time to repair the damage the Conservatives did to our economy.

Finally, I’d like to respond to the bizarre argument that somehow we should not have ended the strikes by teachers, junior doctors or railway workers.

This is classic culture-war stuff that the Conservative government used so often when they were in power: pitching one part of society against another. The fact is the Labour government accepted the recommendations from an independent pay body, set up by the Conservatives, for workers who have had effective pay cuts for years.

We did it because we are utterly focussed on getting the economy working again so we have money to invest in vital public services. And I make no apology for that!