Labour could scrap two child benefit cap, Keir Starmer suggests ahead of backbench rebellion

22 July 2024, 13:46 | Updated: 22 July 2024, 13:47

By Natasha Clark

@NatashaC

Labour could scrap the two child benefit cap, Keir Starmer has indicated for the first time.

The Prime Minister said "there is no silver bullet" but indicated that he would look at all measures to make sure that "no child grows up in poverty".

Labour are facing growing pressure from backbenchers across the party to take action to bin the two child benefit limit, which was brought in under George Osborne and the Conservatives.

It was not mentioned in last week's King's Speech, but the PM announced a new tackling child poverty taskforce in a bid to stem a possible rebellion.

The SNP and some Labour MPs have said they are looking at putting down an amendment to the King's Speech votes, which will take place later this week.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said this morning that the government would “consider [lifting the cap] as one of a number of levers in terms of how we make sure we lift children out of poverty”.

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And Keir Starmer added at a speech earlier today: "In relation to poverty, what the education secretary said this morning, I agree with... She is passionate about tackling child poverty. She spoke very powerfully this morning, because she speaks as a woman who grew up in poverty.

"We will make sure the strategy covers all the basis to try and drive down child poverty."

Asked whether there was a split in his party, Starmer said: “I’m not surprised that there’s a real passion about this in the Labour party.”

Experts say it could cost £3billion a year to get rid of, and the Government has indicated the financial situation has not changed since the Government changed.

This lunchtime Downing Street indicated the taskforce, launched last week, would look at the option of whether to scrap the cap.

The PM's spokesperson said: "We are looking at all available levers for us to do this.

"[Bridget Phillipson] talked about the fact there are  range of measures we will need to consider."

But there's no timeframe on the new taskforce, or when it might have any conclusions.

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Several Labour MPs including John McDonnell, the shadow Chancellor, and Rosie Duffield, are united behind pushing the party to take action now.

LBC understands Labour's Kim Johnson's amendment is unlikely to be accepted by the Speaker, but one of the opposition amendments could come to a vote.

If that is the case, few Labour MPs are expected to vote for it in a bid for unity.

Kim Johnson told BBC's Today programme: "The amendment is very much about having a debate. The government talked about having an ambitious programme to reduce child poverty.

"We just need to be explicit and have some time scales in terms of when that's going to happen. The taskforce that's been set up gives us no indication. We can't wait two years. We've got children living in poverty now and action needs to be taken now."