Farage fails to guarantee pensions triple lock but vows to axe benefits cap
Nigel Farage has declined to commit to the triple lock pensions guarantee as he said his party would scrap the two-child benefit cap because “it’s the right thing to do”.
The Reform UK leader also committed his party to fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts announced by Labour upon entering government.
The two-child benefit limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.
Cabinet ministers have now said scrapping the two-child benefit cap is not off the table and last week Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on winter fuel payments, saying he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300.
During a press conference in central London the Reform UK leader said his measures were “aimed at British families”.
“Family, community and country”
Mr Farage told reporters: “The triple lock for pensioners is not something we’ve addressed as yet. We will, between now and the next election. We are as you can see building out our policy platform.”
The “triple lock” guarantees state pensions will rise each year by whichever is highest: the annual rate of inflation, average growth in earnings, or 2.5%.
Mr Farage said the party is built around three key principles, “family, community and country”.
“That is why we believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do,” he said.
“Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them.
“It’s not a silver bullet, it doesn’t solve all of those problems. But it helps them.”
He added that he believes that “having a transferable tax allowance between married people is the right thing to do”.
The spending on welfare would be paid for, Mr Farage claimed, by cutting net zero costs – which he said were worth £45 billion every year, the £4 billion spent every year on asylum seeker accommodation, as well as diversity and equality spending which he said amounted to £7 billion annually.
He also said reducing the spending on government bodies, Quangos, by 5% could save £65 billion across five years. He said his “optimistic” plans overall could save £350 billion.
He also claimed the cost of quantitative easing, where the Bank of England buys government bonds to increase the money supply into the system, cost more than Reform had predicted last year at £36 billion. The party had vowed to cut the amount spent on the measure.
He said: “So what we’re very good at is actually putting our finger on things and pointing out problems that nobody else has even thought of.”
He added: “I think you can see very clearly the direction that we’re going in. We can’t afford net zero, it’s destroying the country, we can’t afford DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), it’s actually preventing many talented people from succeeding, we certainly can’t afford young undocumented males crossing the English Channel and living in five-star hotels with three square meals a day and free dental and health care.”
“As establishment as they come”
Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said Mr Farage wants to “privatise the NHS” and “come after people’s pensions”.
She said: “Kemi Badenoch will certainly be happy that she and Farage have found some common ground when she asks him for a pact.
“Liberal Democrats are proud to have introduced the triple lock, standing by those who have given so much to our society. Nigel Farage would rather abandon them.”
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the Reform UK leader as “a political fraud who’ll jump on any bandwagon to chase headlines”.
He said: “He is full of empty promises, writing cheques he knows will never be cashed. Because when it really counts, Farage always sides with the rich and powerful against working people.
“He ordered his MPs to vote against banning zero hours contracts and fire-and-rehire – practices that leave workers exploited and insecure. “
He added: “Who bankrolls Farage? Hedge fund managers and speculators – the same people profiting from economic chaos.
“He pretends to be anti-establishment, but in reality he’s as establishment as they come.”
Mr Farage insisted he could become the next prime minister, despite a new YouGov poll showing he comes second to all of the other leaders of the main political parties on who the public think would make the best prime minister.
The figures show Mr Farage trailing Sir Keir by 29% to 44%, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey by 27% to 41%, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 25% to 29%. The Prime Minister’s figures compared to Mr Farage have improved by 8% since February.
Speaking in response to a question which asked whether a party could go from a handful of MPs to a parliamentary majority, he said: “History would suggest the answer to your question is no. Circumstances would suggest the answer is yes.
“Something extraordinary is happening; the collapse of confidence in two political parties that are pretty much merged.”
He also challenged the Prime Minister to a debate in a working man’s club before the next election.
He said: “That’s my open invitation to the Prime Minister. Let’s go to one of the former mining communities, let’s go somewhere that Labour have held the seat pretty much consistently since 1918. Whether the Prime Minister will enjoy a few beers with the lads and do the Channel 4 racing that afternoon, I’m not sure, but I am very, very happy to do so.”
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
farage will tank the UK worse than truss. He will promise anything to get votes. He is a chancer, a grifter, putins useful idiot and his one legacy is ruining the UK (another putin win). You want to give him another go?
He also refused to call out a an outright misogynistic attack on MP’s. Bit of bantz he thinks.
But the press are all over this twerp. He has good comms to keep you all on the hook.
So no actual statement from Farage as to how to maintain the NHS.
Private insurance. It’s the US map he wants (well, the heritage foundation etc.).
Cant afford it? Tough luck. Can afford it? Fast track past the poor peoples entrance where they dole out meds that will break your financials. Need a scan? Gotta pay for it. need meds? They will go up in price massively and unless you have insurance you can barely afford, you die.
His handlers spy a massive sell off and gain to wreck a huge org with a large single buying power.
You could actually go on line and see the Reform policy…rather than than some bland comment not backed up by fact!!!
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-doesnt-want-nhs-35150316
They could, but who on earth would want that on their search history??
A Harry Enfield character would put it this way. ‘It’s just some geezer churnin’ out meaningless blurb. What the bl**dy ‘ell’s all that about? He’ll take all money off everyone and feed it to the greedy gobs in Tufton Street. Iz ‘at wotchoo want coz ‘at’s what’ll ‘appen?’. A bit of old comedy to make a serious point.
Nigel Farage is wreaking havoc on Rachel Reeves’s political landscape. The Reform UK leader is making bold spending commitments that many Labour MPs might secretly yearn for their own party leadership to adopt. Farage’s pledge to fully reinstate winter fuel payments for pensioners and abolish the two-child benefit cap is a direct affront, positioning him as a champion for the elderly and a fierce opponent of child poverty. These promises strike at the heart of Labour’s traditional voter base, resonating across constituencies where the unrelenting cost-of-living crisis has shattered faith in political promises. It’s not just an attack from the… Read more »
Reform is a one trick pony, peddles hate and mis info. Its farages latest ukip. Its his money bank top up.
farge will bring trumpism to the UK. And that is wrecking the US.
“Reform UK leader is making bold spending commitments”. He’s just promising the World to everyone. Remember in the Reform Fantasyland taxes will also be cut by 120 billion. I’m no Thatcherite but the sums just don’t add up. Farage’s dream of Brexit was supposed to be a panacia for all our ills and look how that’s going.
Ironically it’s his Brexit that means we can’t afford the triple lock.
Farage is being smart- no promise on the fiscal white elephant that is the triple lock. So far he has fiscal space to promise big. If scrapped or downgraded could save billions in the short term and £40 billion in 2050.
Hell of a tax break (6k rise in the personal allowance) for normal people- even more tempting for the middle class and rich. I might save £100 quid a month earn about £29,500k last year.
So whats the catch and is it worth a shot? I personally expect farage to become more economically left wing to beat Labour.
A conman will offer you anything you want until they have everything they want from you.
Ironic that the man responsible for conning the gullible into voting for Brexit and destroying the UK economy is now spouting pure fantasy to make a terrible situation seem better.