SNP leader John Swinney criticises Labour’s Andy Burnham over pensions policy, saying Burnham is “repeating the mistakes” of former Labour leader Keir Starmer regarding the pensions “triple lock.” The remarks follow comments by Burnham and wider debate over whether the triple lock should remain in place.
The Scotsman reports Swinney’s intervention comes after the UK prime minister says he is “determined to prove John Swinney wrong” during his Labour conference speech, which included strong arguments about protecting the union. Separately, the Daily Record (Scotland) says Swinney argues Burnham is approaching the issue from the “wrong footing” by moving away from the pensions triple lock.
Across the two outlets, the key point is Swinney’s contention that changing or removing the triple lock mirrors earlier Labour decisions linked to Starmer, while the wider political context includes competing claims about union protections and responses from the UK government.
