𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The tanks have been well and truly parked on the Tory lawn. Nigel Farage has just performed the political equivalent of a smash-and-grab raid on Conservative territory, and he may soon make off with their most precious asset that the Tories have long felt is safely under their thumb.

Reform’s announcement that it will now be backing the triple lock, the flagship pensioner protection that guarantees the state pension rises by whichever is highest: inflation, average earnings, or 2.5%, will have sent tremors through the blue team.

It is a totemic Tory policy, introduced by David Cameron in 2010 and jealously guarded ever since as the definitive proof the Conservatives stand with older voters.

Mr Farage previously dismissed the triple lock as unaffordable, but after some time to reflect, he has emerged as its champion. What changed? Reform are adamant it is a matter of fairness – those who pay into the system have a right to reap the benefits in their retirement. But he may also have spotted an opportunity to hoover up the support of a constituency the Tories have long felt they have under lock and key.

This is Britain’s pensioners, who vote in higher numbers than any other demographic in the country.

Reforms full-throated support of the triple lock is a significant victory for the Express and our readers, who have long campaigned to protect it against those who would water it down or scrap it entirely. But it is also a warning shot to the Conservative Party. If Reform can outflank the Tories on pensions, what else might they come for?

Critics argue the triple lock is ruinously expensive, costing hundreds of billions over the coming decades as Britain’s population ages. Privately, a significant number of MPs from all parties quietly acknowledge it cannot last forever. But publicly? Silence. No one dares say so on the record, because pensioners are some of the most active voters in Britain.

Kemi Badenoch finds herself in an impossible position. She cannot abandon the triple lock without alienating her core vote. But she cannot credibly attack Mr Farage for backing it when the Conservatives introduced it and have defended it for 15 years. Reform has backed the Tories into a corner.

It is, of course, classic Farage. He has identified the Conservatives’ strongest voter coalition and positioned himself as their defender. The message is clear: if the Tories will not fight for you, Reform will.

The tanks are not just on the lawn, they are now circling the prize asset.

For Express readers, this is excellent news. The triple lock remains safe in the eyes of a party consistently topping the polls. But for the Tory Party, it is a disaster. Mr Farage has just shown he can compete for their voters on their own ground, and win.