Conservative deputy leader Alex Burghart has restated the party’s commitment to the state pension triple lock, describing retirees as a “special case” because, once they stop working, they can do “absolutely nothing” to increase their income. Speaking in a series of BBC local radio interviews, Burghart argued that pensioners deserve distinct treatment from working‑age adults, insisting that any difficult welfare decisions should focus on the latter group. He also defended the Conservatives’ approach to youth unemployment, outlined a firm stance against any electoral pact with Reform UK, and criticised the opposition over disability benefit proposals.
Pensioners Described as a Special Case
Burghart told BBC Radio Berkshire that it was “obvious” there should be two different approaches to welfare – one for pensioners and another for working‑age adults. He said pensioners had “reached the end of their working lives” and there was “nothing they can do to improve their circumstances”, adding that they had “a right to be looked after properly”. “The same is not true for people who are working age,” he said. He added: “I just think it’s a very practical and decent argument and that most people will understand that.”
When questioned about adults with disabilities who are unable to work, Burghart clarified that his argument applied only to “people who can work and should be in work”. He noted that the Conservatives have long campaigned for curbs on spending on sickness and disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Working‑Age Benefits in the Crosshairs
The deputy leader suggested that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had missed an opportunity to press ahead with cuts to working‑age benefits after taking office. Speaking on BBC Hereford and Worcester, Burghart said Burnham “didn’t do it, and now we’re in this very serious problem where this huge budget at the centre of government isn’t going to be touched”. He warned that leaving the budget untouched would create fiscal strain, reinforcing the need to target working‑age support rather than pensions.
Burghart also reiterated the government’s plan to end the existing state pension triple lock from 2030 to help fund a new national care service, a proposal first outlined by Burnham. While the Conservatives remain committed to maintaining the triple lock for now, they signal that future reforms will focus on reducing expenditure elsewhere in the welfare system.
Youth Unemployment and ‘Tough Love’
On the issue of youth unemployment, Burghart defended what he called the party’s “tough love” approach. He said 18‑year‑olds leaving school would no longer be able simply to “sign on” the following day. “You will be able to claim some money but that will require you to turn up to the job centre and under supervision either do a course, or do your job applications or look for work,” he said. He argued that some young people were signing on “very early in life” and forming “very bad habits” which could be difficult to break, adding that this “wasn’t good for anybody”.
Party Stance on Reform UK Alliance
Burghart reaffirmed the Conservatives’ “very, very firm” pledge not to enter an electoral pact with Reform UK, either before or after a general election. He criticised Reform over what he described as “scandal around their money” and pointed to donations from individuals involved in cryptocurrency. “We do not want to do a deal with those people,” he said. He also praised Kemi Badenoch, stating: “Kemi [Badenoch] is someone with enormous personal integrity and we are not doing a deal with them.”
Why it Matters
The deputy leader’s remarks clarify the Conservative strategy of shielding pensioners from welfare tightening while aiming to reduce costs among working‑age claimants and young jobseekers. By framing retirees as a group unable to boost their earnings, the party seeks to preserve the politically popular triple lock, even as it prepares for future fiscal pressures. Simultaneously, the emphasis on mandatory job‑centre engagement for school leavers and a hard line against any alliance with Reform UK signals a broader effort to reshape the welfare debate ahead of the next election. How these competing priorities play out will influence both public perception of the Conservatives’ social policy and the trajectory of UK welfare reform.