He accepted governments choose where the axe should fall when cutting public spending but said the decision about whether to "carry on with Labour's planned cut in the winter fuel payment... and cold weather payment, was a difficult one".
The dividend for the 2013 and 2014 financial years is to be adjusted to these plans, with a payment of 50 euro cents per dividend-bearing share planned for both years.
The pair became suspicious when they were photographed at the planned rendezvous with a reporter in Trafalgar Square, central London, and fled without payment.