Kemi Badenoch declines to guarantee triple lock restoration

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has declined to guarantee the reinstatement of the state pension triple lock if the Labour government scraps it. While maintaining that keeping the triple lock is Conservative policy, Badenoch stated it would be “difficult” to commit to reversing the measure if the funds are redirected toward other services.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has proposed reforming the triple lock—which currently links pension increases to the highest of inflation, earnings, or 2.5%—by removing the automatic link to average earnings starting in 2030. Under this plan, pensions would continue to rise by at least inflation or 2.5% annually. The projected savings are intended to fund a new National Care Service.

Badenoch emphasized that she would not “lie to your listeners just so I can get votes,” noting that the feasibility of restoring the policy would depend on how the money is spent by the current administration.