DHAKA: Britain’s prime minister David Cameron promised on Sunday to protect pensioners’ income if his Conservative party wins the 2015 election, laying out his first manifesto spending pledge.

Coming at a time when Britain is facing years of cuts to public spending, the promise is designed to win the support of the country’s elderly, who polling data show are more likely to vote in elections than younger people.

Cameron said he would extend the current ‘triple lock’ on pension payments, which ensures they rise at the pace of either inflation or wage increases, whichever rate is higher, and by a minimum of 2.5 percent per year.

‘In a civilised society ... knowing you’re going to have a decent state pension ... is, I think, a really powerful thing,’ Cameron said in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, reports The Straits Times.

He said the policy was the ‘first plank’ of his election manifesto.

BDST: 1916 HRS, JAN 05, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor