‘Same old Tories!’ Reform UK vows to ‘defend pensioners’ after Badenoch hints at ‘means-testing’ triple lock

In an updated statement about Reform UK’s stance on the triple lock, a spokesman from the populist party told GB News: “Kemi Badenoch wants to cut the state pension. They are still the same old Tories.

“Labour have cut the winter fuel allowance and the Tories want to cut the state pension. Only Reform UK can be trusted to stand up for our pensioners.

“Reform UK will always ensure that pensioners can live with dignity and proper support, unlike the Tories.”

The comments came just hours after the Leader of the Opposition appeared to hint at the Tories “means-testing” the triple lock.

Speaking during a call-in appearance on LBC last night, Badenoch said that while the Tories supported the triple lock while they were in power, the party needs to “keep growing” with its approach.

Rishi Sunak had promised to raise the tax-free pension allowance via a 'Triple Lock Plus' if the Tories won the 2024 General Election.

However, Badenoch said: “We're going to look at means testing [the triple lock]. Means testing is something which we don't do properly here.

"I always said, for example, that millionaires should not be getting the Winter Fuel Payment.

"But what Rachel Reeves has done is the extreme version of that, where people who are actually on the breadline have had their winter fuel payment taken away.

"We don't have a system that knows who should get what. That's the sort of thing that we need to be looking at."

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The Leader of the Opposition continued: "The triple lock is a policy which we supported throughout our 14 years in Government, that was a Conservative policy, but we need to make sure that we are growing.

“Starting with the triple lock is not how to solve the problem. We need to start with why are we not making the same kind of money we used to make?

"I tell people we've started living off our inheritance, we're living off the work that previous generations did.

"We've got to give something to the next generation. What are we leaving them with? That's what we've got to sort out.

"We can't just make ourselves comfortable now spending their future. We need to give them a future."

Badenoch’s comments come just weeks after Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride raised eyebrows by describing the triple lock as “unsustainable”.

The triple lock, which ties state pension increases to the highest out of inflation, average earnings and 2.5 per cent, has contributed to forecasted pensioner benefit spending soaring to £138billion.

A total of £125billion is expected to be spent on state pensions alone.

The latest poll by More in Common suggested Reform UK has emerged as the main challenger to the Conservative Party among voters aged 60 and over.

Baby boomers, those aged 60 to 74, still lean Tory, with 32 per cent backing Badenoch and 26 per cent supporting Farage.

The so-called silent generation, comprising of Britons aged over 75, remain more Conservative.

Just under half, 44 per cent, support the Tories, with a mere 23 per cent siding with Reform UK.

However, analysis of both the 2019 and 2024 General Elections show an enormous drop in Tory support.

Rishi Sunak salvaged 33 per cent of the vote among those aged 60 to 69, down from 57 per cent in 2019.

He also managed to cling onto 46 per cent of those aged 70 and over, with the drop coming from a high of 67 per cent in 2019.

Reform UK only recently established itself as the main challenger in either age category, with YouGov putting Labour ahead of the populist party among both groups on July 4.

But both Labour and the Liberal Democrats pounced on Badenoch’s LBC comments.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper MP said: “Bungling Badenoch has finally come up with her first new policy, slashing the state pension.

“The Conservatives urgently need to clarify what she meant and how many pensioners would lose out.

“The Liberal Democrats are proud we introduced the triple lock and will fight tooth and nail against Conservative attempts to weaken it."

A Labour source added: “Kemi Badenoch has put pensioners on notice - she's going to cut your state pension.

"The Labour Government has taken tough action to clean up the mess the Tories left our economy in, meaning we can guarantee a £470 cash boost for pensioners in April.

“The Tories have let the mask slip though and are happy to leave pensioners worse off. Yet again, the Conservatives haven't listened and they haven't learned.”