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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
National
Hamish Morrison

Keir Starmer responds to SNP vow to scrap two-child cap

KEIR Starmer has claimed the SNP’s vow to scrap the two-child benefit cap is not a “silver bullet” to tackling child poverty.

The Prime Minister hit back at the Scottish Government’s plans after a speech in which he set out what critics have derided as a reset for his troubled administration.

Starmer insisted that Labour would “drive down child poverty” as it had the last time it was in power – but said he did not believe it could be fixed with “just one thing”.

Asked about the announcement at the Scottish Budget on Wednesday, Starmer said: “I don’t accept that this is just one thing that needs to happen.

“If you’re really going to tackle child poverty, you’ve got to look at housing, you’ve got to look at health, you’ve got to look at education, you’ve got to look at so many aspects of a child’s life, in order to take it seriously and in order to bring it down.

“So I know it’s easy to think there’s one silver bullet and if you just do that one thing, that will change everything, I don’t accept that.”

Speaking at Pinewood Studios – where films such as Batman, Dr No and Alien were made – the Prime Minister set out Labour’s six new “milestones” for government.

He said they would allow the public to “hold us to account” – but they have been criticised for being confusing, since Labour have already set out six “first steps for change,” which are different though similar to the pledges outlined today and the five “missions” for government.

Critics have said Starmer’s speech on Thursday was a sign the Government had “reset” its strategy – given the turbulent first five months of Labour being in power.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison said that the SNP would seek to mitigate the two-child benefit cap – which limits extra Universal Credit and child benefit claims for families with more than two children – "as early as we can in 2026," before the next Holyrood election. 

First Minister John Swinney said on Thursday that the Scottish Government would need to rely on the cooperation of Westminster's Department for Work and Pensions which he said "must not stand in our way". 

The announcement was welcomed by anti-poverty campaigners and the policy, which Labour have ruled out scrapping, is blamed as one of the biggest factors in rising levels of child poverty in the UK. 

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