When Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Labour conference that he is going to change the state pension’s triple lock mechanism, the backlash was immediate. For 15 years, the triple lock has been one of the few genuinely untouchable policies in British politics. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, warned that Burnham’s plans could amount to “electoral suicide”. And Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, said the prime minister was considering “an offensive against our elderly”. But, interestingly, the public’s reaction has been considerably more positive, reflecting changing views over what Britons consider fair and acceptable around elderly care and incomes. Despite some of the headlines, the triple lock is not being scrapped. Rather, the government’s proposed reform from 2030 envisions the state pension rising each year by the highest of inflation, 2.5%, or whatever is needed to keep pace with earnings. What is being scrapped is the mechanism that pushes the pension ever higher relative to wages. Under the current rules, whenever inflation or the 2.5% floor outpaces earnings growth, the pension gets …