Campaign for elderly outraged at attacks on ‘triple lock’

CAMPAIGNERS have condemned the latest attack on the pensions triple lock, warning that older Britons should not be made “scapegoats” for the UK’s economic woes.

- BY DAVID WILLIAMSON Chief Political Campaigner

Former Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke, a vice-chairman of the Prosper group of liberal Conservatives, claims the anti-poverty measure is simply “unaffordable” in its present form.

He also warns that welfare spending is forecast to reach £406billion by 2030-31.

In recent months, Sir Tony Blair and the Left-leaning Resolution Foundation have also attacked the triple lock, as well as Iceland boss and Labour cost-of-living tsar Lord Walker.

The policy ensures the full state pension goes up each year by whichever is highest — 2.5%, inflation or average earnings.

The Express has long campaigned for the retention of the triple lock and last month Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told us it would be one of the policies on which she would fight the next election.

But Mr Gauke, who also served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said “facing up to the triple lock issue” will help the Tories recover trust as a party of fiscal responsibility.