BARNSLEY Central MP Dan Jarvis has slammed the government after it was revealed thousands of people died from the cold last winter.

Every year the Office for National Statistics (ONS) release figures showing how many elderly and vulnerable people have died due to the cold in the winter months.

The data revealed that an ‘appalling’ 13,400 people died last winter from preventable causes.

This takes the ONS total over the last five winters to more than 160,000 excess winter deaths - an 11 per cent increase from over a decade ago, when Labour were in government.

Earlier this month, the Chronicle revealed an average of eight people have died every day in Barnsley since the start of the pandemic as the number of excess deaths continues to rise.

From March 27, 2020, to November 18, 2022 - a total of 966 days - a total of 7,960 people have died in Barnsley.

According to statistics from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the expected number of deaths stood at 6,752.

In that time frame, 1,154 people died from Covid-19, whilst the number of ‘excess deaths’ in Barnsley stands at 1,208.

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Only 36 of the 138 weeks in that period saw the number of deaths lower than expected - the majority of which came between January and July in both 2021 and 2022.

The week ending April 10, 2020, saw the highest number of excess deaths with 60.

Whilst, the week ending June 15, 2021 saw 15 fewer deaths than expected.

Dan told the Chronicle: “No-one should die from the cold, and it is a shameful indictment of the government’s inaction that 13,400 people lost their lives last winter.

“Excess winter deaths is an issue that I have raised throughout my time in Parliament because successive governments have failed to tackle the crisis.

“It’s disgraceful that we have a mortality rate far exceeding much colder countries like Sweden or Norway.

“The difference is that these countries prioritise keeping people warm through measures such as better insulating their homes - something I worked hard on as South Yorkshire Mayor.

“What makes matters worse is that we are amidst a cost-of-living crisis, and millions of people can’t afford to turn on the heating.

“If we are serious about preventing people from dying unnecessarily this winter, then we need the government to take urgent action and deliver an ambitious insulating, retrofitting and targeting strategy for the houses those most in need live in.

“That’s what I’ll continue to campaign for.”