Channel 5 fury as Jeremy Vine guest tells pensioner to DOWNSIZE home to save money in fiery pension debate: ‘Leave pensioners ALONE!’
One commentator on the Jeremy Vine sister show, Storm Huntley, has sparked outrage after sharing her thoughts on the future of the state pension triple lock.
The debate arose after the Labour government confirmed the state pension is being placed under review, meaning future pensioners face being £800 a year worse-off by 2050.
Despite the triple lock not coming under scrutiny as of yet, fears have emerged over its future after analysts urged ministers to review the “unsustainable” measure as part of its Pensions Commission.
Speaking to Channel 5 presenter Matt Allwright, Reem Ibrahim of the Institute of Economic Affairs, found herself on the receiving end of complaints when she called for the end of the triple lock, arguing it shouldn’t have been promised in the first place.
Sitting alongside fellow guest Andy West, Allwright asked Ibrahim: “If you make a promise, you should keep it, Reem.
“In 2011, that was what those pensioners who were coming to pensionable age were told. They said, ‘This is what you can budget for across the rest of your life.’ What’s wrong with keeping that promise?”
Ibrahim outlined her argument: “The triple lock pension shouldn’t have been promised in the first place, quite frankly.
“We saw from three different measures that when inflation was, after the pandemic, in double digits, 11 percent, nobody else in the economy was getting inflation-busting pay rises, yet pensioners were.
“The state pension for one individual pensioner is not very much at all… However, that being said, we spend huge amounts of money on the system as a whole because we have an ageing population.
“We spend, just on pensions, the same amount that we spend on policing, education, and defence combined. That is an extortionate amount of money and quite frankly, that isn’t sustainable.”
She continued: “We saw this morning from the Office of National Statistics that the government is currently borrowing literally millions of pounds. We cannot afford the current level of state spending.
“State spending as a portion of GDP is about to go above 50 percent, the government is increasing in size, we’re spending huge amounts of money, and pensioners are some of the wealthiest demographics in the UK.”
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“They’re also some of the poorest, and that is the concern here,” West chipped in while Allwright also remarked: “They also vote.”
“They do also vote. it’s a bit of a problem,” Ibrahim quipped back before Allwright turned to the phone lines to hear from pensioners who would be affected by any changes to the state pension triple lock.
Yvonne, a 66-year-old grandmother from London, told the panel: “The triple-lock still makes sense to me for a certain reason that I missed out on the six years extended to claim my pension by two months, and now you’re telling me you’ll take away the triple-lock? Give us a break here!
“We’ve worked from the age of 16. I’ve paid a mortgage, I’ve raised two kids, and how dare you tell me I’m rich! I’m far from rich. I can’t even afford to look after my grandkids. Shame on you, young girl. You need to listen -“
“How much is your house worth, Yvonne?” Ibrahim interrupted, to which the caller replied: “My house is worth £500,000.”
“Okay. And do you think that perhaps you can downsize if that money is there for you?” Ibrahim probed. Yvonne hit back: “Why should I need to downsize when I’ve worked all my life!?
“If someone came to you at 66 and said you should downsize, how would you like it?!”
Ibrahim wasn’t deterred, further quizzing: “Okay. How many bedrooms does your house have, Yvonne?”
After Yvonne revealed she lived in a two-bed house, Ibrahim’s line of inquiry turned to whether she “needed” both rooms. “Yes. I have a daughter still living at home because she can’t afford to move out,” Yvonne replied.
Tired of the personal line of questioning, Allwright intervened. “What I don’t get, Reem, is your right to ask people about the house they live in that they’ve bought and paid for as their own occupants,” he interjected.
“This is not public housing, this is not a council house, this is Yvonne’s home… She’s allowed to stay in that as long as she wants.”
“Absolutely, she’s allowed to stay in it as long as she wants,” Ibrahim agreed before caveating: “She’s not then entitled to say I want more taxpayer money off current working people.”
The debate among the panel and caller sparked an almighty debate among Channel 5 viewers at home, with many furious by Ibrahim’s attitude towards the older generation.
One irked viewer took to X to complain: “Speaking on behalf of us pensioners who have contributed all our working lives.. I see Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine presenters are debating stopping the triple lock and now free prescriptions … Oh, and it seems we are all millionaires…and need to downsize! FFS!”
“Who the f*** is Reem to be questioning pensioners about how many rooms they have in their house? #JeremyVine,” a second questioned before a third weighed in: “No, that’s it, I’m def off, that last comment from hers done it… ‘If they live in a million pound house and can’t afford to live, sell it’ #JeremyVine.”
A fourth concurred: “@JeremyVineOn5 ask her if she knows the cost of moving? Decorating? Swapping energy companies? MORON on TV hating on Pensioners… #MattAllwright #JeremyVine.”
Elsewhere, a fifth warned: “At some point this young lady will be a pensioner herself, so careful what you wish for is all I am saying!”
And a fifth simply pleaded: “Nonsense. Leave our pensioners alone!” (sic)