Chancellor gave a shocking answer at a press conference, writes Jonathan Walker
John Healey vows to control public spending in upcoming budget
Chancellor John Healey has set out plans to create “hope in every heart” by revitalising the economy. He claimed there was “an optimistic story” to tell “of pride, of huge latent potential, a country turning a corner”.
But there was one moment in his press conference on Monday when he was strangely reticent. And instead of instilling hope, it will put fear into the heart of every pensioner struggling to get by on a low income, as so many are.
Mr Healey was asked by Kathryn Forster of GB News for his response to demands from the British Chambers of Commerce for the Government to axe the state pension triple lock, which ensures pensions increase by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2%. In other words, it ensures pensioners do not fall even further behind the rest of the country.
Chancellor John Healey delivers his speech (Image: Getty)
The full new state pension is £12,547 a year. Many pensioners have a private or workplace pension as well, although in some cases this is only a few thousand pounds a year.
But many others depend entirely on this modest sum to survive. And others get even less, because they don’t get the “new” pension or don’t qualify for the full amount.
The British Chambers of Commerce is saying the triple lock should be axed so more can be spent on tackling youth unemployment. And Mr Healey said: “On the British Chambers of Commerce, I agree with them, what they were saying about youth unemployment.
“You heard me talk about it today – a scar, a blight on the future of those million young people, but on the potential of this country. And we have to fix it.
“It cannot be right that we write off a young generation in that way.”
Referring to an inquiry into the problem by Labour former cabinet minister Alan Milburn, the Chancellor continued: “Alan Milburn is doing important work. We’ll base our plans on his full recommendations.
“But as the Prime Minister has said, there is a need to bring down welfare costs, and most important for me, we have to get more of Britain working again.”
Obviously, Mr Healey is right that every young person deserves a fair chance to get on in life, and youth unemployment is a horrible waste. But he also seemed to endorse the view that helping young people should come at the expense of the elderly – a very different and shocking idea.
He certainly made no mention of the triple lock, or of pensioners at all, in his answer – even though the question was very clearly about pensions, as well as young people.
And it’s part of a growing trend for politicians and organisations to attack the elderly, and blame their “generous” pensions for the plight of young people.
Labour won’t abolish the triple lock before the next election. But it looks a lot like they are gearing up to publish a general election manifesto that either fails to commit to keeping it, or just says bluntly that they want to axe it.
And this would mean that pensioners would suffer if Labour wins.
Constant speculation about the future of the state pension can only cause extra worries for some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
Mr Healey could easily have ended the speculation, just by confirming that he remained committed to the triple lock. His failure to do so spoke volumes.