Rishi Sunak has confirmed the Tory Party will keep the triple lock for the whole of the next Parliament, insisting that the promise is affordable.
The triple lock guarantees that the state pension will rise by at least the rate of inflation, earnings growth, or 2.5 per cent every year.
Asked if the triple lock would be kept for the whole of the next parliament if the Conservative Party wins the election, the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee: "I think you can safely assume that is what he [Hunt] meant, without wanting to write the entire manifesto now."
When asked if he thinks the pledge is affordable, Sunak responded: "I do because the track record of the Government is that we make priorities and making sure that if you have worked hard all your life you have the dignity you deserve in retirement is important to me, it is important to the Government and the triple lock is an expression of that.
Rishi Sunak has confirmed the Tory Party will keep the triple lock for the whole of the next Parliament, insisting that the promise is affordable
PA
"So I’m actually proud that as a result of the triple-lock pensioners are much less likely to be in poverty."
Over the weekend, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the Conservatives will keep the triple lock in place if they win the election.
His appearance in front of the Liaison Committee also saw him say he is "very confident" the Rwanda asylum scheme is in compliance with the UK’s international obligations.
SNP MP Joanna Cherry asked the Prime Minister if he was proud of telling Tory MPs to vote against an amendment preventing Afghans who had supported British forces in Afghanistan from being deported to Rwanda.
Sunak said "I really disagree with that characterisation", adding that in light of recent debates in Parliament about MPs’ intimidation, "I actually think characterising like that is deeply unhelpful".
Pressed again, he said: "We have a very clear obligation to make sure that we support those who aided us in Afghanistan, and we’re delivering on that."
Sunak declined to give a date for when defence spending will hit the 2.5% of GDP target.
The Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee: “We’ve said we will do that when the conditions allow. But it’s worth saying that defence spending is already on an upward trajectory and we’re already due to hit 2.3% of GDP on defence spending.”
He urged European and Nato allies to “step up” defence industrial production.
“What the last year or so shows that we need to collectively up our game when it comes to defence industrial production. We’re making the investments, we’re signing the contracts and I think we can look forward to a very significant increase over the coming months and years.”
