Badenoch says triple lock remains Tory policy, blames weak economy for rising costs

Kemi Badenoch told the Press Association that the triple-lock pension guarantee, a Conservative invention, will appear in the party’s draft manifesto and should not be abandoned. She contended that the growing cost of the lock stems from a lack of economic growth rather than the policy itself, urging attention to welfare reforms that encourage employment. Badenoch dismissed Labour leader Andy Burnham’s understanding of the sums involved and emphasized that the problem lies with people who can work but do not.

The government’s 2030 proposal to raise the state pension by at least CPI or 2.5% each year, with additional rises when needed, was referenced, as were concerns from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and The King’s Fund about funding universal care. Senior Conservatives such as Jeremy Hunt and Tom Tugendhat have also voiced doubts about the lock’s sustainability.