Swinney doubles down on pensions 'lose' claim as Tories push Holyrood record correction

John Swinney has doubled down on what Scottish Conservatives call “false claims” that Scots are set to lose their pensions as a result of the UK government’s move to scrap the triple lock.

The first minister has been accused by Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay of attempting to spread disinformation over the policy, announced by Andy Burnham last week, which is designed to help fund improvements to social care south of the border. Findlay is pushing for Swinney to correct Holyrood’s official record, and has raised the prospect of an investigation by the independent advisers on the ministerial code.

Swinney has claimed Burnham is planning a £4bn raid on Scottish pensioners to “pay for social care in England”. The Times notes that any additional spending south of the border would automatically lead to an increase in the Scottish government’s budget through the Barnett formula.

In an exchange with Findlay at Holyrood last week, Swinney said pensions were “under attack from a Westminster Labour government”, adding: “We have been taken out of the European Union and we are now going to lose our pensions. Scotland needs to have independence.”

Asked about his comments on Monday, Swinney said he had “nothing to explain to parliament”, insisting it was correct that pensioners would “lose out in the years to come”. He also denied that social care spending increases in England would definitely be passed on to Holyrood, saying “none of us can foresee what the implications of these changes will be for the block grant in Scotland”.

That claim is contested: the overall block grant has repeatedly risen over recent years, with the only exception being the withdrawal of pandemic emergency funding. An official conceded: “The overall block grant tends to increase over time.”

Findlay said Swinney had “alarmed Scots pensioners by peddling misinformation” and was now “doubling down, which smacks of SNP arrogance”. He added: “If he’s really so confident that he’s done nothing wrong then he should welcome an investigation by the independent advisers on the ministerial code.” Under the ministerial code, ministers are expected to give “accurate and truthful information to the parliament” and correct inadvertent errors at the earliest opportunity; those who deliberately mislead are expected to resign.

Scottish Labour’s Claire Baker said it was “disappointing that John Swinney has decided to double down on his ‘false claims’ about pensions”, calling it “scaremongering” and urging him to “take the first opportunity to correct the record”.

Under Burnham’s plans, which are contingent on Labour winning the next general election, pensions would still rise, but by inflation or 2.5 per cent rather than under the triple lock — the earnings link would be removed. The policy has guaranteed since 2010 that the state pension rises by the highest of 2.5 per cent, average wage increases or inflation. The SNP government claims the move will cost Scottish pensioners £4bn by 2050, although some in the party privately believe, like several independent economists, that the triple lock was unsustainable.