THE Labour party’s priorities have been branded “broken” after figures showed more than 1600 children in their big target seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West have been affected by the two-child benefit cap.
The policy, which leader Keir Starmer has said he backs after previously vowing to scrap it, means families who claim child tax credits or Universal Credit can only do so for their first two children.
Labour are currently seeking to take their previous stronghold of Rutherglen and Hamilton West from the SNP with a by-election on the horizon in the constituency following the recall of Margaret Ferrier.
According to the Child Poverty Action Group, a total of 1620 kids are affected by the cap in the area, with 320 children not considered eligible for a Universal Credit child element due to the policy, and 180 children not considered eligible for a child tax credits element.
SNP candidate Katy Loudon said the figures should serve as a reminder of how urgently the policy needs to be scrapped, but insisted appeals will only fall on deaf ears in the Labour party.
Loudon said: “These figures just go to show how broken the Labour Party’s priorities are, that they won’t find the money to lift children out of poverty who’ve been placed there by a callous Tory policy.
"Sir Keir Starmer is consigning thousands of families in Scotland to poverty by making the political choice to keep the Tory two-child cap, having decided alongside Sunak that tackling poverty and helping families is not a priority for them.
“These are figures that should serve as a reminder to those opposed to Tory austerity how desperately we must work to overturn the two child cap, but this will only fall on deaf ears in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party.
"With the full powers of independence Scotland can scrap the two child cap and go further to eradicate poverty for good while we build an economy that works for everyone.”
Starmer’s latest stance on the cap opened up splits in the party either side of the Border, with several Labour MSPs speaking out against him including Monica Lennon and Mercedes Villalba.
Earlier this month, the Labour leader said his party could impose the cap "more fairly" than the Tories have if he gets the keys to Number 10.
Families can only exempt themselves from the two-child cap in exceptional circumstances, such as if they can prove a third child was conceived as a result of rape – known as the controversial rape clause.
Other exemptions include if the third child is adopted or they are the second child (or more) born in a multiple birth.
