Ministers have been warned that they must find the courage to scrap the UK’s “wasteful and expensive” state pension triple lock.
The mechanism should be phased out “the sooner, the better”, according to the Resolution Foundation think-tank, formerly run by the Government’s pensions minister Torsten Bell.
The policy, which costs three times more than intended according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), ensures the state pension rises each year in line with inflation, wage increases or 2.5 per cent – whichever is highest.
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Everything we know about Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson nightclub ‘incident’
Former England captain David Gower fears Ben Stokes’ reign as Test skipper may already be in “the past tense” following his involvement in a nightclub incident with a Saracens rugby player.
Caption: LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 10: Gus Atkinson of England celebrates with Ben Stokes after taking the wicket of Shamar Joseph of West Indies during Day One of the 1st Rothesay Test Match between England and West Indies at Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 10, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Photographer: Alex Davidson
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Stokes future up in air after melee
Stokes now faces an uncertain future as England’s Test captain, with England and Wales Cricket Board investigating.
- Stokes and Atkinson reportedly broke the team’s midnight curfew with a night out after the win over New Zealand at Lord’s.
- They were involved in a melee with a Saracens academy rugby player at a London nightclub, it is reported.
- The Telegraph reports the rugby player tried to punch Atkinson, but hit an ECB security guard.
- The security guard needed stitches, but Stokes and Atkinson weren’t hurt, it is claimed.
What will happen now?
ECB sources told The Telegraph that the cricketers were “not the aggressors”.
Both men are expected to be omittted from the second Test on 17 June, but there is no suggestion of any police involvement.
Atkinson left the field injured early on day two (Photo: Getty)
CRICKET
2 min read
Previous boozy punch-up
Ahead of the Ashes, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer in Wellington before a one-day international against New Zealand.
Harry Brook has become a lightning rod for criticism of the England team (Photo: Getty)
CRICKET
3 min read
Watch more from The i Paper
The 2026 World Cup is set to be one of the hottest on record, with temperatures in the US expected to top 35°C in cities like Dallas, Houston and Monterrey this June and July. This is not the first time the heat has impacted a World Cup, but for the first time, the 2026 edition will introduce three-minute “hydration breaks” to help the players. The i Paper’s Chief Football Writer@danielstorey85 went to Loughborough University to put his body to the test in a heat chamber and find out exactly what the players will be dealing with. #US #UK #worldcup #football
Caption: NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: U.S. President Donald Trump listens to the national anthem before the start of game 3 of the NBA Finals between New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden on June 8, 2026 in New York City. Fans attending the game have expressed frustration at the heightened security measures put in place for the President???s attendance. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***
Photographer: Samuel Corum
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images North America
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
WORLD NEWS
Trump booed at NBA basketball finals
Donald Trump was loudly booed by basketball fans at New York’s Madison Square Gardens during the NBA Finals on Monday night.
A sell-out crowd at the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs clash jeered as the US President appeared on a big screen at the iconic arena.
Fans stuck in long queues due to Trump security checks
Fans queued for more than two blocks due to airport-style security as Trump became the first sitting US president to attend the NBA Finals.
Caption: U.S. President Donald Trump,his granddaughter Kai Trump, and New York Knicks owner James Dolan, attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, U.S., June 8, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard REFILE – CORRECTING FROM “NBA PLAYOFFS” TO “NBA FINALS”.
Photographer: Nathan Howard
Provider: REUTERS
Source: REUTERS
OPINION
5 min read
Trump all smiles – but did he nod off?
New York fans boo Trump again
Caption: President Donald Trump watches Game 3 of the NBA Finals basketball series between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, June 8, 2026, with Knicks owner James Dolan and Kai Trump. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Photographer: Mark Schiefelbein
Provider: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
Source: AP
Trump smiled as the boos erupted among fans in his home city. It’s claimed the 79-year-old later fell asleep at the game. He was invited to the game by James Dolan, the owner of the Knicks.
Trump was also booed when he attended the US Open tennis men’s final in Flushing, Queens, last year.
WORLD
4 min read
WORLD
Families are leaving Trump’s America for a cheaper life in Europe
The Statue of Liberty has for decades welcomed migrants from around the world. However, as the US prepares to mark its 250th anniversary next month, the land of immigration is becoming a country of emigration.
The US government does not publish data on those who leave, but figures suggest more students are moving abroad and more Americans are buying homes elsewhere.
US sees net negative migration
Americans appear to be voting with their feet in a way not seen since the Great Depression in 1929, when hundreds of thousands left the country when the economy collapsed.
The US experienced net negative migration — an estimated loss of some 150,000 people — in 2025, and the outflow is likely to increase in 2026, according to calculations by the Brookings Institution, a US think-tank.
LIFESTYLE
4 min read
WORLD
3 min read
Americans flocking to UK
There have been significantly more US buyers than usual, looking to London, the Cotswolds and to the home counties for relative stability,”
ALASDHAIR LOCHRANE, BUYING AGENT HEATON & pARTNERS
Taynton village near Burford, Cotswolds, England – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)
Where else are US citizens moving to?
Irish numbers double
10,000 Americans moved to Ireland last year, double the number in 2024.
The number of Brits acquiring Irish citizenship continues to soar post-Brexit (Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto via Getty).
Germany reversal
Last year, more Americans moved to Germany than Germans moved to America.
Spain relocation
In the past 10 years, the number of US residents has more than doubled in the Czech Republic and nearly doubled in Spain.
San José is Cabo de Gata’s largest town (Photo: Lux Blue/Getty)
Why are they leaving the US?
Americans who have left say they want a better quality of life away from home, where the average office worker receives about 10 days of paid holiday annually, while Europeans typically get 20 to 30 days.
Political differences with the Trump administration are another reason.
Caption: US President Donald Trump speaks to the press upon arrival at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, on June 20, 2025. Trump is heading to his Bedminster golf resort for a MAGA Inc. fundraising dinner. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Photographer: MANDEL NGAN
Provider: AFP via Getty Images
Source: AFP
Copyright: AFP or licensors
WORLD
6 min read
Caption: Undated handout file photo originally issued on 17/06/25 by the Metropolitan Police of Annabel Rook. Jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court have been shown pictures of the home of Clifton George and Annabel Rook, in the aftermath of a gas explosion on June 17 last year. George, 45, killed his partner of ten years, Ms Rook, at their home in Stoke Newington before starting a fire designed to blow up a gas canister in the basement. Issue date: Thursday May 7, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Metropolitan Police
Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
Source: PA
COURT
Abusive partner of judge’s daughter jailed for life for her murder
An electrician who stabbed a judge’s daughter to death in a frenzied rage before blowing up their home in a gas explosion has been jailed for life.
Clifton George, 45, killed his partner Annabel Rook, 46, by stabbing her 31 times during a row at their east London home after she had said they should end their 10-year relationship.
What happened?
In the aftermath of the killing, George started a fire in the basement in order to cause a gas canister explosion which ripped through the house, causing damage of around £400,000.
Explained
4 min read
LIVE
1 min read
What did the judge say?
An overwhelming picture has emerged of your rage, anger, and volatility…She feared you, she feared your wrath. In your rage and fury, you brutally stabbed Annabel to death.
Mr Justice Constable KC
Caption: Undated handout file photo originally issued on 03/06/26 by Metropolitan Police of Clifton George who is due to be sentenced on Tuesday at Snaresbrook Crown Court after being found guilty of the murder of Annabel Rook. George, 45, killed his partner Annabel, 46, by stabbing her 31 times during a row at their east London home after she had said they should end their 10-year relationship. In the aftermath of the killing, George started a fire in the basement in order to cause a gas canister explosion which ripped through the house. Issue date: Tuesday June 09, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Metropolitan Police
Provider: Metropolitan Police/PA Wire
Source: PA
A closer look at the detail
The judge added that even after the murder and explosion, George “remained fixated on your self-absorbed belief that Annabel had betrayed you”.
Caption: Undated handout photo issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shown to jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court of the aftermath of a gas explosion on June 17 last year, during the trial of Clifton George, 45, who killed his partner of ten years, Annabel Rook, at their home in Stoke Newington before starting a fire designed to blow up a gas canister in the basement. Issue date: Thursday May 7, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Crown Prosecution Service/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: Crown Prosecution Service
Provider: Crown Prosecution Service/PA Wire
Source: PA
Caption: Undated family handout photo issued by Metropolitan Police of Annabel Rook. Clifton George has been found guilty of the murder of Annabel at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Wednesday. Issue date: Wednesday June 03, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: family Handout/PA Wire
NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Photographer: family Handout
Provider: family Handout/PA Wire
Source: PA
Ms Rook’s father, retired Old Bailey judge Peter Rook, branded George “utterly selfish” while her mother Susanna Rook called him “a wicked, totally narcissistic, damaged person”. Mrs Rook hailed her daughter as “optimistic, inclusive and full of fun”.
Man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after ‘brutal’ knife attack in Belfast
A man was seriously injured after being stabbed repeatedly in Belfast during what eyewitnesses described as an attempted beheading.
Caption: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – JUNE 09: Police attend the scene following a stabbing attack in North Belfast on June 09, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A knifeman has been arrested after a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing in north Belfast leaving the local community fearful. The incident has been condemned across the political parties offering praise to locals who intervened to stop the attack. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Photographer: Charles McQuillan
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
What we know so far
- A man in his forties was stabbed continuously while pinned to the floor by an attacker.
- Police said the victim suffered significant injuries to his face, neck and back.
- Residents intervened and one hit the knifeman with a hurling stick during the attack in north Belfast.
- A man in his thirties believed to be from Sudan, was arrested following the incident on Monday night.
CRIME
3 min read
PM brands attack ‘sickening’
Sir Keir Starmer called the attack “sickening”, and said he would have “absolutely no tolerance for abhorrent scenes of violence like this on our streets”.
Caption: BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – JUNE 09: Police attend the scene following a stabbing attack in North Belfast on June 09, 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. A knifeman has been arrested after a man was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing in north Belfast leaving the local community fearful. The incident has been condemned across the political parties offering praise to locals who intervened to stop the attack. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Photographer: Charles McQuillan
Provider: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images Europe
Copyright: 2026 Getty Images
WORLD
2 min read
‘Medieval’ knife attack
Northern Ireland justice minister Naomi Long praised the “brave people who disarmed the attacker”.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson described the attack as “medieval”, adding: “This was a systematic mutilation of a human being on the streets of Belfast.” Police have launched an investigation to establish a motive.
WORLD
2 min read
Exclusive
6 min read
Speaking to The i Paper, the think-tank’s economist Alex Clegg said the policy “isn’t designed well” and may not be the best use of money during “quite a tight fiscal reality”.
The organisation, where Bell was CEO for nearly a decade, has issued a new report arguing that the policy is “far too expensive” and failing to reduce poverty.
It comes after The i Paper revealed an increasing cohort of Labour MPs are keen to shift away from the triple lock in the name of generational fairness and economic sustainability.
Asked whether there is sympathy within Government for reform, Clegg said the new Pensions Commission – launched by Bell last summer – is “ongoing” and that conversations will “definitely be happening”.
“The Government will definitely be looking at all kinds of reforms, whether that means that they’re close to moving on the triple lock is a different question,” Clegg said. “But these conversations will definitely be happening, and it’s something that the Government will be debating internally.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said that the Government had committed to the triple lock for the rest of this Parliament, and that the commission is “examining how we can ensure secure retirements for tomorrow’s pensioners”.
Last week, Liam Byrne became the most prominent Labour MP to admit the triple lock needs to go, following a groundswell of private discussions among colleagues about how to phase it out while causing minimal electoral damage.
While there have long been murmurings from within Labour, and other parties, that the triple lock is unaffordable and unsustainable, many politicians believe scrapping it would be too politically toxic among older voters. All the major political parties, bar the Greens, are currently committed to it.
Tony Blair recently warned the policy is “unaffordable long term”, and Conservative former chancellor Jeremy Hunt said it is “immoral” due to being partly funded by debt on younger generations.
Pensions Minister Bell previously described it as a “silly” system before he became an MP.
The mechanism was originally created in 2010 because the state pension had become too low relative to wages and living standards. But higher than expected inflation and wages growth over the last few years has seen significant rises in the state pension – by 10.3 per cent in 2023 due to high inflation, 8.5 per cent in 2024 due to wages growth and 4.1 per cent in 2025 and 4.8 per cent this year also due to wages growth.
According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the state pension is costing £12bn a year more than it would have done if it had been linked to wages since 2011.
Many pensioners, however, claim that the state pension is their only source of income.
The Resolution Foundation’s new report, shared with The i Paper, argues that “time should be called on the expensive and wasteful triple lock on the state pension” as it favours retirees over typical workers.
The think-tank’s analysis argues that the triple lock is the biggest driver of higher welfare spending in this Parliament and is set to add £13.8 billion to the bill by 2029-30 in real terms. The report also claims it has not reduced pensioner poverty, with rates rising by 2.3 per cent since it was introduced in 2011.
The Resolution Foundation has long proposed a new system called a “smoothed earnings link”, which tracks wage growth but protects the value of the state pension from temporary price shocks by pinning it to inflation in times of economic uncertainty. A similar system is used in Australia – but private pensions in the country are also more generous.
In the latest report, Clegg and CEO Ruth Curtice argue that state pension is already at around 30 per cent of median full-time earnings.
“Our view is that level has now been reached, and politicians should find the courage to replace the triple lock with a policy that is transparent, predictable, and fair across generations,” they state.
The report’s analysis suggests the state pension bill is now £12.6bn higher than it would have been under a smoothed earnings link since 2011, and switching to such a policy from next year would be a net saving of around £650m in 2029-30.
Some Labour MPs publicly, and privately, argue this money could be better spent supporting younger generations, such as the one million young people not in education, employment or training in the UK.