EXCLUSIVE: Senior Conservative MP hits back at the Reform UK leader over the massive policy
JJ Anisiobi and Mel Stride (Image: Martyn Brown)
The Conservative Party will “stand by” the pensions Triple Lock, Sir Mel Stride has insisted. He said the benefit, which was introduced by the Tory-led Coalition government, had helped ease pensioner poverty in the UK.
Sir Mel’s defiant promise came during an appearance on our weekday news show the Daily Expresso. Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a 4.8% increase in the basic and new state pension next year at her Budget as part of the policy. But the rise has sparked fresh questions over the measure, which guarantees that the state pension rises in line with average earnings, inflation or 2.5% each year.
Campaigners have warned political parties that do not commit to it face “annihilation” at the next general election.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said that he cannot guarantee the future of the triple lock, while prominent Tory MPs Sir Edward Leigh and Tom Tugendhat have also criticised the policy.
Sir Mel said: “What people forget is that under the last Labour government, we had the fourth highest level of pensioner poverty in Europe.
“The Triple Lock was instrumental in moving from a situation where we were so often reading about terrible stories of pensioners in poverty in the papers to a point where a lot of that problem is now eased.
“And you’ve got to bear in mind that pensioners can’t adjust their economic circumstances, like working age people, because they can’t get another job, work more hours, or whatever it may be.
“So I think it’s important that we stand by them. So we stand by the Triple Lock.”
Asked about his previous comments that the Triple Lock is unsustainable, he added: “I think I said in the very, very, very long term – three very’s. But we are very clear that we stand by the Triple Lock.”
The Daily Express has campaigned hard for the Triple Lock to stay in place.
Dennis Reed, director of the Silver Voices campaign group, said: “Any political party which wishes to face the electorate without a firm commitment to the lock would face annihilation at the polls, and any firm proposals would face the mother and father of all political battles.
“We are already incensed that for most pensioners the triple lock will be taxed in future as a result of the Budget decision.”
It comes after Mr Farage said voters must be “realistic” about the dire state of the public finances and spiralling debt levels.
Asked about the triple lock after the Budget on Wednesday, he said: “We’re not going to guarantee anything on the triple lock. We have to see what the economic situation is like nearer the next election.”
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Sir Edward branded the policy as “unsustainable”.
Conservative former minister Tom Tugendhat said there are not “enough young people for an ageing population”.
Mr Tugendhat added: “That means, I’m afraid we do need to look at the triple lock.
“I have already been clear. Now, I know my front bench doesn’t agree with me, but I have been clear on this, that we simply cannot afford the level of welfare payments that we are making.
“We need to be clear that health and pensions are now costing too much.”
