Cole-Hamilton commits to keeping triple lock on pensions

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today committed to keeping the pensions triple lock during a visit to a community club for older people in Edinburgh.

Mr Cole-Hamilton made the announcement as he visited the CAMEO (Come And Meet Every One) Club, which brings together elderly and semi-housebound people at St Columba’s Church in Edinburgh’s Blackhall.

The transformative policy, introduced by the Liberal Democrats in 2010, ensures that pensions rise in line with inflation, average wages, or 2.5%, whichever is higher, and provides pensioners with much-needed income security.

During his visit to the club, Cole-Hamilton noted the importance of the triple lock in helping older people deal with the cost of living crisis.

The triple lock has lifted 300,000 pensioners out of absolute poverty since the Liberal Democrats introduced it and remains crucial to the one-and-a-half million pensioners across the UK still living in absolute poverty.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“The cost of living crisis, created by government failure in Edinburgh and London, has been brutal on households and our pensioners have been among the hardest hit.

“They should not have to pay for government mismanagement and the catastrophic harm the SNP and Tories have done to the economy.

“Liberal Democrats are proud to be the party of the triple lock, which has lifted more than 300,000 pensioners out of absolute poverty since we introduced it and we will continue to be strong champions for it and for our older people.

“We are clear, the triple lock stays and Scottish Liberal Democrats are here to ensure it."