Burnham Accused Of 'Clever Politician Speak' For Claiming He Is Not Scrapping Triple Lock

Andy Burnham has been accused of “clever politician speak” after denying he is scrapping the state pension triple lock.

The prime minister was challenged by the BBC’s Nick Robinson for insisting he was only “adjusting” the policy.

At the moment, the state pensions rises each year by whichever is greater out of the rate of inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%.

At the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, Burnham said that would change from April 2030 in order to help fund a new “national care service”.

He said the pension would still go up by either inflation or 2.5%, but the wages link would only be maintained “over time”.

On Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Robinson said Burnham planned to pay for his social care plans by “scrapping the triple lock”.

But the PM hit back: “No, that’s not quite right. I’ve said that we will make an adjustment to the triple lock. Now you might say that sounds like clever politician speak.”

Robinson then told him: “I do think it’s clever politician speak.”

Burnham replied: “If I could just explain. It keeps the three elements in play, those three elements being prices, earnings and 2.5%.

“The current triple lock works on the basis every year, which is highest, that’s what pensions go up by.

“What that is doing is taking it up quite quickly, and by 2030 it will be a record level.

“The adjustment I’m suggesting is that earnings should be considered over a longer timeframe and that would maintain the pension but it wouldn’t put us in a position that the triple lock has us in.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Burnham also confirmed that the new national care service would only pay for the care that elderly people receive at home, not for the more expensive nursing home fees.

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