The Department for Work and Pensions and Labour Party government could scrap the DWP Triple Lock due to the rising tensions in Iran. Oliver Chapman, group CEO of procurement group OCI, said that UK families shold brace for “financial turbulence” with WWIII fears intensifying in Iran.
He said: “That would affect everything from fuel to food, and pressure the Bank of England to keep interest rates elevated longer than anticipated. There’s also the triple lock to consider. If inflation rises sharply, pensions could increase by more than expected – a win for pensioners, yes, but a challenge for public finances.
“In an election-sensitive climate, there’s a real risk the Treasury may be forced to reconsider or water down the commitment.”
READ MORE: Co-op confirms it will stop sourcing carrots from Israel
READ MORE: British Airways ‘trials’ in-flight change with thousands set to benefit
READ MORE Millions of workers could be handed £1,000 tax-free annual payout
Dan Boardman-Weston, CEO at BRI Wealth Management, said: “Families should act now. Lock in energy deals where possible.
“Avoid taking on new, high-interest debt. Increase your emergency savings – even small amounts matter. Reassess mortgage options if rates remain high.”
Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, has called for an end to the strikes on Iran at a Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels
Barrot says France is “deeply concerned” about the conflict escalating, which, he says, could be “devastating in the Middle East and have very serious consequences for global stability,” including for France and Europe.
Barrot condemned Iran’s nuclear program, citing it as an existential risk to Israel and Europe, and the Iranian regime’s detention of French citizens.
“This morning, I want to express my thoughts for Jacques Paris and Cécile Kohler, who have been held hostage for three years under deplorable conditions akin to torture,” he says.
Barrot stressed the need for negotiations to take place with the Iranian authorities and rejects any suggestions of “regime change,” arguing that Iranians have the right to “self-detemination”.
He said they trust “the Iranian people, who have heroically resisted the regime whose actions we have condemned, to determine their own future and choose for themselves the time and circumstances to change the regime. It would be illusory and dangerous to think that such a change can be provoked by force and bombs.”