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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 18h

Heading back to Westminster on Monday mornings is all the easier after a brilliant weekend. I'm out door knocking every week with the Swansea West Labour team - great to speak to residents of Uplands about what's going on in the neighbourhood, well caffeinated via Sloth coffee.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Mewslade - but round by Rhossili also looks fine this afternoon (here’s towards Worms Head)

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

What you need to know about changes to the state pension 👇 The most important one: it will keep rising every single year.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This is exactly what I said was their plan earlier today - she just gets the credit for spelling it out torstenbell.substack.com/p/the-future...

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Katie Lam just said the secret but inevitable bit out loud - Conservatives opposing our reform of the Triple Lock are actually on track to scrap or means test the State Pension www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

The past is all very well, but will adjusting the triple lock see pensioner poverty rise in the future? No, it's actually set to decline bc: - The state pension will still rise - More people saving privately is pushing up the incomes of poorer pensioners (often women).

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

For those saying the triple lock has driven pensioner poverty down: that's wrong, as this timeline spells out. The last Labour Gov halved pensioner poverty w Pension Credit for the poorest. Under the Tories (who introduced the triple lock in 2011) pensioner poverty rose by 350k.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

If its so similar to the current triple lock, will it actually save money? Also yes. The state pension will still rise every year, but on a sustainable basis as we remove the ratchet effect whereby it outstrips wages. So it's rising, but at a slightly slower rate.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

From April 2030, we will adjust the Triple Lock. The core principles will stay the same: a material rise every year, protecting against price increases, and making sure pensioners benefit from economic growth. Is it still a TRIPLE Lock? It has 3 elements, making the answer: yes.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

We're honouring our promise, keeping the Triple Lock for the rest of this Parliament. The full new State Pension will rise by £2,000+, reaching a record high relative to earnings by 2029/30. This will see the permanent reversal of Thatcher's decoupling of the SP from wages.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Best news today? The significant rise in business investment, which matters because it drives tmrw’s growth not just today’s: - business investment is estimated to have increased by 1.8% in Q2 - it is up 5.2% on the year Chart (from Reuters)👇

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

More evidence of UK economy’s strong first half to the year, despite the very real impact of the Iran war: - ONS have revised up growth (and gdp/capita growth) in Q2 to 0.5% - confirms the UK as the fastest growing economy in the G7 in 2026 (given growth of 0.6% in Q1)

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Jeremy Hunt has also been totally clear about the need for change - including today:

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The Conservative Party debated for a couple of hours and decided that no, they are not a serious party. Inevitably.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Fantastic to get out with @mike-reader.bsky.social and a crack team of @labouruk.bsky.social volunteers in Holborn and St Pancras. Sagal Abdi-Wali would make a brilliant MP, and a powerful voice for the local area. Great to speak to lots of supporters on the doors.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Retirement - a proper rest after a lifetime of work - was one of the 20th century’s great wins. The latest edition of my weekly newsletter Charting the Course gives you two big facts about the pensions system in the UK today: torstenbell.substack.com/p/two-things...

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Fact 2: it really pays to save. For every £1 an average earner puts into a pension, you get back £4 in retirement (£8 before inflation). £1 saved + 25p tax relief + 75p+ employer contribution = £2 in the pot. Investment growth is the magic sauce that does the rest.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Fact 1 (part 2): ... but we're not saving enough People retiring in 2050 are currently set to have private pension incomes 8% LOWER than people retiring today. In an ageing society, that's the wrong direction of travel.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Fact 1 (part 1): More of us are saving Workplace pension saving has been resurrected. Automatic enrolment from 2012 means 9 in 10 eligible employees now save into a pension, up from just 55% in 2012. A genuine policy success story.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

My report from St Helen's stadium today, and what comes next in the fight for the Ospreys. #ourbloodisblack #ospreys

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Whose GDP is it anyway? This week’s substack is out torstenbell.substack.com/p/life-the-u...

Graphic of the strong correlation between productivity and wages

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Plot twist: richer nations report lower sense of purpose. Not because wealth itself erodes meaning, but because richer countries tend to be less religious, and belief in something bigger boosts purpose. Join the clergy and you can expect low pay, but high life satisfaction.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Beyond wages, does GDP even make us happier? Yes, roughly. Within countries and across countries, higher GDP/capita tracks with higher life satisfaction.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The UK's recent history shows some of the link between growth and the things we care about. Weak productivity growth = wage stagnation. When GDP went missing, it was our wages that went missing too. Growth isn't everything, but its absence hits real people hard.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Actual headline: “Farage sold himself to one foreign based crypto millionaire & has now sold his party to yet another one”. What a surprise that a party with little concrete policy has very specific policies on… crypto tax cuts

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Reflections after yesterday's important statement from the Foreign Secretary.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

What's more, we aren't just talking about cutting the deficit, we have already done so. The UK is delivering a faster fiscal consolidation than any other G7 economy between 2025 and 2030 (or in the G20, in case you prefer that rather more inclusive grouping).

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Looking back a few years, it's clear how comfortable our predecessors were to borrow year-on-year at well above normal levels. What's happened since? In the last financial year, the UK cut its borrowing by a full 1% of GDP. This year, it's set to fall again.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

We need accuracy, not complacency. Without it, you miss the real problem that's been building since the 00s: the prospects of young people. In the 2010s, youth employment never recovered to the highs seen when Blair was PM. It's a disaster that 1 in 8 young people are now NEET.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

When it comes to employment, you’ll regularly be told that nobody wants to work these days. That’s garbage. A higher proportion of Brits (3/4 of us) were working last year than in all but two of the last 100 years outside of WW2 (huge wars do tend to drive full employment).

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

This Saturday, I'll be at a community venue in Cwmbwrla accompanied by plenty of tea and biscuits. Come and say hello! Email torsten.bell.mp@parliament.uk to register and don't forget to include your postcode. The location will be shared with RSVPs.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

It’s important to understand that we’ve now consistently seen a NEET rate of 13% since Jan-March 2024 - it tells us that factors interrupting successful school to work transitions prior to that point have been the key drivers.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

No climbing today - but nearly two decades back I was up on this summit, which means it’s painfully clear how much the glaciers below it have been decimated since

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Weather forecasters? Right Economic gloomsters? Wrong

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

UK economy has been far more resilient than the commentators/gloomsters/forecasters thought. Strong start to 2026 continues despite the headwinds of the Iran conflict - GDP growth of 0.4% in 2nd quarter. What matters most (gdp/capita) is also up 0.4%, and has risen 1% on the year

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a chat at Swansea Market this morning.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

People in Swansea rely on bus travel to get to work, stay in touch with friends and family, and bring customers to their businesses. Sign my petition to cap fares at £2 across Wales to give people breathing space on the cost of living. www.torstenbell.org/petition-for...

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Green Party: opposed to… green energy. Again. www.ft.com/content/6fe7...

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Here’s the argument I made for it in Great Britain? back in 2024: “if a substantial share of the income tax receipts paid by residents went to the mayor rather than the Treasury, that would encourage cities to embrace the disruption involved in becoming more productive.”

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The Iran war poses real economic challenges but UK consumers continued their strong start to 2026 - retail sales rose 0.6% in the second quarter. Consistent growth now for two full years after flatlining throughout the entire last parliament.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Stay up to date with what I’m doing to support our local community by subscribing to my newsletter Standing Up for Swansea. Get it delivered straight to your inbox by signing up here: torstenbell.substack.com/subscribe

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

A big thank you to everyone who came along to my coffee morning in Uplands today. I really enjoyed hearing about people’s favourite things about Swansea (nature and community came through strongly) and have some good discussion about what needs to change.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

I know people are concerned about the rise of division and intolerance in our politics. So I want to bring together everyone in Swansea who believes we have more in common than that which divides us. To book a seat, send your name and postcode to torsten.bell.mp@parliament.uk.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Come and have a cuppa with me in Uplands this Saturday ☕ You can learn about my work in the community, tell me what you think I should be focusing on in the years ahead, or just say hello. Email torsten.bell.mp@parliament.uk with your name and postcode to reserve a seat.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I was elected MP for Swansea west two years ago today. It was the honour of my life, and I promised to work hard every day to deliver the change people voted for. Here's what I've been doing to make good on that promise.

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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I’m concerned there appears to be a fire in central Swansea in the city church area - advisable to stay away until it’s clear what’s going on. I’m contacting the emergency services and council and will be follow the situation closely. Stay safe.

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