A TOP Taxpayers Alliance lobbyist sparked fury yesterday after telling the Tories to cut benefits for pensioners — as many will die before the next election.

Alex Wild, the research director for the right-wing pressure group, said cuts affecting over-65s would not lose the Tories votes because some “will not be around” by 2020.

Pensioners branded his comment “cynical and offensive,” but the Tories refused to distance themselves from the cuts being demanded by the group.

Mr Wild made his shocking suggestion on Sunday night at a Taxpayers Alliance fringe meeting at the Tory conference to demand more spending cuts.

Describing pensioner benefits such as winter fuel payments as a “big problem,” he outlined two “practical” reasons why they must be cut soon.

“The first sounds a little bit morbid,” said Mr Wild, sitting alongside Tory MPs Liam Fox and Chris Philp.

“But some of the people whose benefits [are cut] won’t be around to vote against you at the next election. So that’s just a practical point.

“The other point is that they might have forgotten by then.

“If they do it now the chances are in 2020, someone who’s had their winter fuel (allowance) cut might be thinking: ‘Oh I can’t remember, was it this government or the last one. I’m not quite sure.’

“From a purely practical basis I’d say do it immediately.”

Anticipating a backlash, Mr Wild added: “That might be one of those things that I regret saying in later life, but that would be my practical advice for government.”

His comments sparked raucous laughter from the MPs on the panel and Tory members in the audience.

But the National Pensioners Convention demanded an apology for his ageist comments. General secretary Dot Gibson stormed: “It represents some of the most awful ageist nonsense I’ve heard in a long time.

“He doesn’t consider the fact that the winter fuel allowance is essential because every year tens of thousands of older people die from the cold. Taking it away would just make this worse — but perhaps that’s what he wants.”

And she warned: “Contrary to what he suggested, Mr Wild can be sure pensioners won’t be forgetting this in a hurry.”

The Taxpayers Alliance is demanding cuts to pensions, as well as bus passes, TV licences and winter fuel payments for the over-65s.

The scrooges even want to scrap the pensioners’ £10 tax-free payment at Christmas.

Labour shadow minister for older people Barbara Keeley demanded that Tory ministers distance themselves from Mr Wild’s “disgraceful” comments.

“We should be celebrating the fact that people are living longer and we should be helping people feel secure in older age,” she said.

“If government ministers are considering cutting vital benefits for people who have worked hard and deserve security in their retirement then they must come clean about that.”

The Conservative Party didn’t respond to the Star’s request for comments.

5 other things the Taxpayers' Alliance want to do

- Abolish child benefit

- Abolish the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

- Reduce holiday for public-sector workers’ and introduce a “excess sickness rate penalty

- Scrap national pay bargaining and trade union facility time

- Repeal the Equality Act