Keir Starmer has communicated his intentions to “listen” to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar about revoking the two-child benefit cap. The aspiring Prime Minister also expressed his ambition to uplift millions of children from poverty given that Labour claims victory on July 4.
It’s shown in the polls that Labour is potentially on the brink of gaining power for the first time since 2010, sparking hope in many within the Scottish quarter, including Glasgow.
Despite this, Starmer has faced backlash from anti-poverty organisations and the SNP for not supporting the abolition of the conservative government’s two-child cap. Detractors of the policy claim it triggers increase in poverty rates and impacts vulnerable children detrimentally.
The Glasgow-based Sarwar stated earlier that he, along with Scottish Labour MPs, would persuade a Starmer-led Government to abolish the cap if the Labour party takes on power.
Upon being questioned on his response to Sarwar’s appeals, Starmer told the Record: “To listen to what he has to say, which I always do, and to consider what I hope will be Labour MPs. I don’t have a magic wand. I can’t pretend the economy is undamaged under this Government. I’m not going to make promises that aren’t costed or funded.”
He continued, “Would I expect Anas to voice his views to me? Definitely, that’s our standard mode of operation.”
The last Labour Government succeeded in pulling millions of senior citizens and children out of poverty. Starmer has been urged to disclose his strategies for tackling poverty.
When asked if his aim is to eliminate child poverty for millions, he responded, “Yes, it is to emulate what we did in the last Labour Government to significantly reduce child poverty. We can commence working towards that objective immediately by addressing the root causes of poverty.”
According to a research conducted by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), the cap will affect around 670,000 children in the coming five years and approximately 250,000 children will be affected by it next year.
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