Starmer adjusts position on two-child benefit limit in response to SNP criticism before upcoming by-election

author: FutureCar Staff    

Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party, has appeared to soften his stance on the two-child benefit cap. He made this statement while addressing an event with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar at Rutherglen Town Hall in South Lanarkshire. This comes ahead of a by-election scheduled for the autumn.

In July, Sir Keir faced criticism from both Labour and SNP circles when he stated that he would not abolish the controversial policy. The two-child benefit cap restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in a family, with limited exceptions.

Anas Sarwar has previously voiced his opposition to this policy, which has resulted in an additional 20,000 children in Scotland falling into poverty since it was introduced by the Conservatives in 2017.

During the event, Sir Keir and Mr Sarwar denied any divisions between them. Sir Keir also seemed to soften his stance on the controversial policy, stating that if Labour were to form a government, they would ensure welfare policies operate more fairly.

When directly asked about the two-child benefits cap, Sir Keir hinted at the possibility of scrapping it in the future. He acknowledged that difficult decisions would need to be made as an incoming Labour government, considering the state of public finances.

Furthermore, Sir Keir mentioned the associated rape clause, which requires women to disclose that their child was conceived as a result of rape to bypass the benefit cap. He expressed a desire to scrap this clause as well.

Sir Keir emphasized that an anti-poverty strategy led by an incoming Labour government would focus on growing the economy and ensuring equal growth throughout the country. He criticized the SNP, stating that re-electing a Tory or SNP government would be detrimental to child poverty.

The Labour leader dismissed the notion of division between himself and Mr Sarwar, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between the two sides of the party. He criticized the SNP for resorting to insults due to a lack of substantive arguments.

During his campaign in Scotland for the upcoming by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Sir Keir stressed Labour's commitment to achieving the highest sustained growth in the G7 and breaking the class ceiling across the UK. He criticized the SNP for their lack of a delivery record.

The by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West was triggered after SNP MP Margaret Ferrier was suspended from parliament for 30 days. This occurred after she spoke in the Commons while experiencing COVID symptoms, tested positive, and subsequently traveled by train in September 2020. The by-election is seen as a crucial test for Labour to demonstrate progress in Scotland ahead of the expected general election next year.

FutureCar Staff