Andy Burnham says Labour must honour its pension pledge as scrutiny grows online

Andy Burnham has said he would keep the UK’s pension triple lock, despite growing pressure over the long-term cost of the policy.

The Makerfield MP, widely seen as Sir Keir Starmer’s likely successor as prime minister, made the commitment during a Reddit “ask me anything” session on Friday. The online appearance gave voters a rare chance to question him directly as he continues to set out how he would govern.

Burnham accepted that the pension triple lock remained the subject of serious debate. But he said Labour’s 2024 manifesto commitment should stand, signalling that he would not walk away from the pledge if he entered Downing Street.

The policy has become one of the most politically sensitive issues in Britain. Introduced in 2010 by the Conservative-led coalition government, it raises the state pension every April by whichever is highest: average earnings, inflation or 2.5 per cent.

Supporters see the pension triple lock as a vital protection for older people, especially after years of rising living costs. Critics argue that it places growing strain on the public finances and creates difficult choices for future governments.

The government now spends about 5 per cent of GDP on state pension benefits, compared with 3.5 per cent at the start of the century. That increase has fuelled calls for ministers to reconsider whether the system can continue in its current form.

Lord Richard Walker, Starmer’s cost of living tsar and chair of Iceland, recently urged the government to rethink its commitment. He described the mechanism as mathematically unsustainable and profoundly unfair during an intervention in the House of Lords.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has also entered the debate. Earlier this year, he said he would keep the pension triple lock if he reached Downing Street, after previously suggesting he might consider abolishing it.

Burnham’s position therefore places him on cautious ground. He is trying to show that he will respect Labour’s manifesto while facing questions about whether the policy can remain affordable as the population ages and pressure on public spending grows.

The Reddit session also brought a direct challenge from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. She accused Burnham of answering easy questions online rather than facing tougher scrutiny from journalists. Her criticism followed his decision not to take questions from reporters after a major speech on Monday about his plans for government.

Burnham pushed back, telling Badenoch it was a fair challenge, but reminding her that he had recently faced questions from 74,000 members of the public in Makerfield during his successful by-election campaign.

The exchange added a sharper political edge to the session. What began as an online Q&A quickly became another test of how Burnham handles pressure from opponents, voters and the media.

Burnham also appeared to rule out calling a snap general election. Asked whether he would send voters back to the polls after taking office, he said no and repeated that he intended to work from Labour’s 2024 manifesto.

He also backed electoral reform, saying he supported a more collaborative political system. Burnham said he would try to persuade Labour to include a commitment to proportional representation in its next manifesto.

On relations with Europe, he said he believed there was scope for a more ambitious UK-EU trade agreement than the current deal, adding that he would build on work already done by the government.

Still, the pension triple lock stood out as the headline moment. Burnham did not offer a dramatic break with Labour’s existing promise. Instead, he chose continuity, even as critics warned that the cost of that promise would keep rising.