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Kemi Badenoch has said it would be “difficult” to commit to reinstating the pension triple lock if Labour changed or scrapped it.
The Conservative leader declined to commit to repealing any legislation scrapping the triple lock in its current form, but insisted keeping the measure was party policy.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham plans to drop the pensions triple lock’s automatic link with increases in average earnings from 2030, with the savings used to pay for a new social care service.
Under Mr Burnham’s plans, the state pension will rise every year by at least CPI (Consumer Prices Index) inflation or 2.5%.
Appearing on Times Radio on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch was asked if her party would reverse Labour’s plans if it came into power.
She said: “I have said that the triple lock is our policy and it remains our policy. I don’t think going after pensioners is the right thing when there are loads of people who can work, who won’t work.”
She added: “When we are going to reverse Labour’s policies, I say we are going to reverse their policies.
“I have said that we are keeping this policy, but if they take that money and they spend it on something that we can’t get it back from, then it would be difficult for me.
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“What I’m not going to do is lie to your listeners just so I can get votes. I tell the truth and I say the triple lock is our policy and we’re keeping it.
“But what I’m not going to do is to say something when I don’t know what the situation would be about what Labour has done with that money. We have to be very careful.”
