Millions of pensioners will never forgive Andy Burnham if he touches the pensions triple lock, jeopardising his desire to remain in power beyond the next General Election. The Prime Minister has been warned that messing with the key policy for older people will be "to his peril".
Commitment under pressure
Burnham says he remains committed to keeping the measure despite a growing drumbeat of demands to ditch it. It would be political suicide if the Prime Minister caves in, with the analysis suggesting he would be out of No 10 faster than he came in.
Chief among those calling for the lock to be scaled back is his former economic adviser Lord O'Neill. He says Burnham should rein in the "excesses" of Government expenditure and tackle "sacred cows". It is not the first time he has suggested this.
Economic fallout
The calls are getting louder as the fallout from the Iran war continues to hit the economy. Bond markets are in a tailspin, and the soaring cost of Government borrowing is deeply worrying.
Many of the Prime Minister's opponents say there are other ways of protecting the UK's economic fortunes without picking pensioners' pockets. Reining in spending on needless benefits for starters, as well as cutting net zero subsidies. Slashing the size of the Civil Service is another, while there are mounting calls on the Government to fork out less on foreign nationals.
Political pressures
The Labour leader has also come under repeated pressure from Kemi Badenoch to rule out more tax rises. Hiking them will drag the economy to its knees, she warns. That would put the triple lock and many other things - including Mr Burnham's job - at greater risk.
