Andy Burnham's economic guru instructs Labour to rule out tax rises at Budget and scrap triple-lock

From the Newshound archive · first published 3 October 2026 · last updated 4 October 2026.

Andy Burnham is planning to bring legislation replacing the state pension triple lock to a parliamentary vote before the next general election, reneging on a clear pledge that the system would remain untouched until 2030. No 10 has confirmed the vote will happen during this Parliament; the proposed double lock would drop the annual earnings link and substitute a smoothed, longer-term wages measure. Ministers expect the overhaul to deliver £15 billion in savings by 2040, but the Institute for Fiscal Studies has cautioned that the reforms could yield no savings whatsoever.

Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately says Burnham 'stood on a manifesto to keep the triple lock' and should seek a public mandate before changing it.

The IEA's Maeve Halligan says the policy is designed to fund free social care, but its own fiscal forecasts may not stack up.