Rishi Sunak insists no cuts to state pension to fund national insurance ambition
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, in the two weeks since we last met at this dispatch box, has the Prime Minister managed to find the money for his completely unfunded £46 billion promise to scrap National Insurance? Mr. Mr. Speaker, of course we address that a few weeks ago, and I’m happy to address it again. But I know that I know that economics is not his strong point, but but he might do well. He might do well, actually, to listen to his shadow education secretary. Who? Who just this morning said no? That’s not how it works, Mr. Speaker. Indeed, the IFS have also said the link between National Insurance and public services funding is illusory, just like Labour’s economic plans, Mr. Speaker. But pensioners and those who are planning their retirement deserve better than his contempt for their questions, because if £46 billion were cut from its funding, the value of the state pension would almost half. So I don’t apologise for asking on their behalf again whether he will finally rule out. Cutting their state pension to fulfill the enormous black hole in his spending plans. Mr. Speaker, of course we can rule that out and the honourable gentleman should stop scaremongering because it’s thanks. It’s thanks to the triple lock that we’ve increased pensions by 3700 lbs since 2010 and they will rise in each and every year of the next Parliament.