The region's Tory MPs have praised the Prime Minister for reaffirming her commitment to the triple lock on pensions - but opposition members have criticised Liz Truss's performance after a bruising round of Prime Minister's Questions.
Responding to a question from the SNP's Ian Blackford, Ms Truss committed to the triple-lock on pensions, meaning the state pension will increase in line with the 10.1% inflation figure from April, after being threatened with a backbench revolt. It comes just hours after the PM's spokesman said she was "not making any commitments" on Government spending. Foreign secretary James Cleverly told the BBC he could not give people "certainty" over how much their pensions would increase next year on Wednesday morning.
The pensions triple lock gurantees that pension payments will rise by either prices, average wages or 2.5% - whichever is highest. North West Durham MP Richard Holden said the move was "the right decision in line with the manifesto I was elected on."
