Two-child profit cap: Stress grows on Starmer as Reform’s coverage transfer parks tanks on Labour’s garden | Politics Information

No U-turn comes with out a political price.

This weekend, it has grow to be clear there’s a value to pay for Sir Keir Starmer’s choice to row again on winter gas cost cuts.

One MP mentioned in a textual content message: “We all want to see more”, whereas former prime minister Gordon Brown advised Sky Information this week the two-child profit cap was “pretty discriminatory” and could possibly be scrapped.

The cap, which prevents mother and father from claiming baby tax credit score or common credit score for greater than two kids, is a symbolic sore for Labour that noticed seven MPs suspended from the get together final yr.

Now it’s again to trigger extra hassle.

A Downing Road supply suggests little has modified within the final week, and searching on the cap has at all times been a part of the (now delayed) Baby Poverty Technique.

However, past the whispers behind the scenes, one factor has overtly modified this weekend – rising strain from Nigel Farage.

We count on Reform UK to announce this week that it will reinstate winter gas funds and drop the cap.

Mr Farage is parking his tanks on Labour’s garden, making an attempt to faucet into working-class votes on uncomfortable territory for Mr Starmer.

How would they pay for it? A mix of closing asylum accommodations, chopping help, and scrapping net-zero targets, the get together says.

Headline-grabbing transfer

The fantastic thing about not being in energy isn’t having to make all of the sums add up proper now, and it’s a headline-grabbing announcement that may, on the very least, reignite the dialog in regards to the two-child cap.

It’s additionally a reminder that Reform UK, who have been overwhelmed by Labour in 89 out of the 98 constituencies they got here second in final yr, have set their sights past the Conservatives.

As for the Tories, who launched the measure in 2017, chief Kemi Badenoch is evident, saying: “If you can’t afford to have lots of children, then you shouldn’t do so”.

Blue water between Tories and Reform UK

So, there may be blue water between the Conservatives and Reform, but it surely’s the prime minister and his get together that Nigel Farage is concentrating on now, and Labour is unclear on the place it stands.

Deputy chief Angela Rayner advised Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips that “lifting any measures that alleviate poverty is not a bad idea”.

Extra from Sky Information:
PM’s winter gas declare ‘not credible’
Starmer-Reeves Downing St ‘rift’

With the spending evaluation quick approaching, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves can be understanding the precise price, past the political one, of rowing again on winter gas cost cuts.

However will the anger that the coverage ignited amongst some Labour MPs finish there? Or will it transfer to a different uncomfortable topic?

As one MP places it: “If there’s money for pensioners, why not children?”