Keir Starmer's own cost of living tsar today joined calls for the Government to scrap the triple lock on state pensions.Richard Walker, the boss of supermarket Iceland, branded the policy 'mathematically unsustainable, politically untouchable and profoundly unfair'.The Labour peer's intervention comes after the Resolution Foundation, known as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' favourite think tank, also demanded the triple lock is axed.The triple lock sees state pensions increase in line with whichever is highest out of average earnings growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.It was introduced under the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government as a means of trying to lift older people out of poverty.But some economists have raised concerns about the financial sustainability of the triple lock, due to the UK's aging population and the fact Britons are living longer.Meanwhile, economic volatility in the wake of the Covid pandemic and Ukraine war has seen large increases under the triple lock in recent years.This has pushed up spending on state pensions and increased concern about the parlous state of the public finances. Richard Walker, who is Keir Starmer's cost of living tsar, has joined calls for the Government to scrap the triple lock on state pensions Lord Walker of Broxton, the boss of supermarket Iceland, branded the policy 'mathematically unsustainable, politically untouchable and profoundly unfair'Speaking during a debate on youth unemployment in the House of Lords on Thursday, Lord Walker of Broxton said that 'hard truths must be spoken'.'We cannot keep kicking the can down the road,' he told his fellow peers.'We must urgently reform the welfare system so that the safety net catches those who truly need it, not those who choose it as a lifestyle.'But let us jettison the worn-out stereotype of who constitutes the biggest drain on our benefits system.'We should have the courage to challenge the pensions triple lock. It's mathematically unsustainable, politically untouchable and profoundly unfair: we all know it.'As for the epidemic of youth unemployment, it is a tragedy that will be made worse by the challenges of AI but also because the reality is that incentives to work are diminishing.'Lord Walker also appeared to take a swipe at the Government's approach to business, saying ministers had been 'slower than I imagined' to achieve growth.'We need to break out of the endless cycle of consultations and procrastination and actually get stuff done,' he said.'To grow the economy, the Government need to be more business friendly. It is only business that creates wealth and jobs and pays tax.'Replying to the debate in the Lords, education minister Angela Smith said the Government was 'determined to meet' the challenge of youth unemployment.She denied Ms Reeves' hikes to National Insurance or minimum wage rates were responsible for the UK's youth unemployment crisis.'This is not at the heart of the cause of youth unemployment,' she said.In a new analysis published this week, the Resolution Foundation called for the triple lock to be replaced with 'a smooth earnings link' from next year.The think tank estimated such a move would save £650million a year by the end of the Parliament.It suggested these savings would be enough to double the funding of Labour's 'youth guarantee' programme, which aims to reduce the number of young people not in employment, education or training.There are close links between the Labour Government and the Resolution Foundation, with former senior figures at the think tank now serving as senior members of Ms Reeves' Treasury team.Torsten Bell, who is Ms Reeves' pensions minister, is a former chief executive of the Resolution Foundation; while Dan Tomlinson, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, is a former senior economist at the think tank.Sir Keir named Lord Walker as his 'cost of living champion' in February – despite the Labour peer having previously only given the PM a 'six out of ten' rating.The 45-year-old is the chairman of Iceland and the son of the supermarket chain's founder, Malcolm Walker.He previously hoped to be a Conservative MP, but quit the Tories in 2023 before going on to support Labour.The businessman attended the launch of Labour's manifesto ahead of the 2024 general election, but later went on to be critical of Sir Keir's first few months in power.He last year gave the Government a lacklustre 'six out of ten' rating for its performance and also criticised Ms Reeves' tax hikes on businesses.Despite his comments, Sir Keir handed Lord Walker – who has previously expressed a desire to be PM himself – a life peerage at the beginning of this year.