How the weather changed on the 'cruel' two-child benefit cap
Illustration by Michael Villegas / Ikon Images
Labour is in the middle of a slow-motion U-turn on the two-child benefit cap. Our political editor, Andrew Marr, revealed on last week's episode of the New Statesman podcast that it was Keir Starmer's 'priority' to reverse the George Osborne-era cut to benefits for third-born children, and there have been similar reports over the bank holiday weekend.
The government's child poverty taskforce, which was supposed to report in the spring – ahead of the Spending Review and Spring Statement – has been postponed until autumn, supposedly to give the Treasury time to work out how to fund the reversal of the policy.
Labour promised in its manifesto to reduce child poverty in this parliament. It had little chance of achieving this with the two-child limit still in place – it is responsible for hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty. Starmer's decision not to lift the cap ahead of the 2024 election was a blow to many within the Labour Party, civil society, and families claiming benefits. The issue emerged again once the party entered government, when Labour MPs voting against the cap had the whip removed.
Pressure built yet again in May, when the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown guest edited a special issue of the New Statesman on Britain's 'child poverty epidemic', setting out the bleak picture of life for nearly five million children in the UK today, and funding ideas to help them.
In his strongest intervention yet, in a podcast and YouTube interview accompanying this issue, Brown told the New Statesman politics podcast that the two-child cap is 'cruel', turns third siblings into 'second-class citizens', and said it has 'got to change' – remarks picked up in the press and in the House of Commons.
Much has been reported about the influence of Tony Blair and his policy institute on the current Labour administration, but less has been said of Gordon Brown's role. He is close to frontbenchers, such as the employment minister Alison McGovern, and was tasked with a commission on rebuilding Britain's economy when Labour was in opposition – when he was said to have a 'direct line' into Starmer's office. There are reports, for example, that the child poverty taskforce will recommend the return of Sure Start children's centres: another suggestion Brown made in his New Statesman podcast interview.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe
Reluctant to be seen as a backseat driver, Brown had avoided politically inconvenient interventions since Labour took power – most notably on the party's cut to winter fuel allowance, which he introduced as chancellor. As well as on the two-child cap, he has also now spoken out on that subject, suggesting there is 'a case for' excluding top-rate taxpayers from the once-universal payments.
The question now is whether Chancellor Rachel Reeves adopts some of his revenue-raising ideas, including a gambling tax, commercial bank levy, and changes to Gift Aid, to help tackle child poverty. Brown told the New Statesman in the same interview that these funding proposals would be possible without 'breaking the government's tax commitments' or 'breaking the fiscal rules, which, of course, Rachel Reeves is obviously right to be concerned about'.
[See more: Letter from Wigan]
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Government would struggle to cope with severe animal disease outbreak
Animal diseases such as bird flu, bluetongue and African swine fever can pose serious threats to England's farming sector, food security, human health and wildlife, and costs associated with an outbreak can spiral into the billions of pounds, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. The 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth cost an estimated £13.8 billion in today's prices, with farming businesses devastated, thousands of animals slaughtered and the countryside shut to recreation and tourism. And 7.2 million birds have been culled in avian flu outbreaks since 2020, which have also devasted wild seabird colonies across the UK. But while the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has worked hard to tackle recent outbreaks, the NAO said it is likely the public bodies would struggle with a more severe outbreak or concurrent serious outbreaks. A report from the NAO warned that long-term resilience to disease in livestock was being undermined by officials having to focus on increasingly frequent outbreaks – and there was no long-term strategy for improving the situation. There are significant gaps in contingency plans for outbreaks, and plans for specific diseases have not been updated with the latest findings, with its strategy for coping with foot and mouth disease not updated since 2011. Just 5% of live animal imports are undergoing physical checks, all taking place at the final customer destination, against a target of 100% checks at border control, raising the risk of 'exotic' diseases arriving from abroad. A fifth of vet roles are vacant at the APHA, and there is a 'very high' risk of site failure at the Government's key animal science lab at Weybridge, the report said. The report said that while a £2.8 billion redevelopment programme at Weybridge was now on track, the main new laboratory facilities will not be delivered for another 10 years. The report found Defra thought there was a 'very high' risk of an outbreak to which it would be unable to respond effectively, but it lacks a long-term strategy and action plan for improving resilience to animal disease, and many of its activities are reactive rather than part of a coherent plan. A comprehensive livestock movement tracing system – crucial once infection is detected – is lacking, with the costs of an upgraded scheme now estimated at £563 million amid concerns over delivering it in the face of rising costs and funding constraints, while there are also issues with vaccine supplies. Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: 'Defra has assessed that the risk of an outbreak to which it would be unable to respond effectively is above the level it considers tolerable, but it has not determined a way to reduce this risk. 'A long-term strategy and action plan are urgently needed, to protect national economic resilience as well as food security, human health and rural communities.' Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chairman of the parliamentary Committee of Public Accounts, said: 'Despite some good work to identify new threats, Government's preparations for a future major outbreak are being hampered by a lack of capacity, skills and long-term strategy. 'Government's failure to carry out checks on animal imports is also threatening biosecurity at the border. 'Resilience to a severe outbreak has not been tested in recent years, but the threat remains ever increasing as our livestock become more susceptible to disease. 'Without changes to the current operating system, there is a very real risk that Government would not be able to respond effectively.' Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said: 'This Government's commitment to maintaining the country's biosecurity in the face of the mounting risks of disease is unwavering – we will do whatever it takes to protect our farmers and economy. 'We took immediate action to ban personal imports of meat and dairy from Europe after a wave of foot and mouth cases on the continent and, after years of underinvestment, we are investing £200 million into a new National Biosecurity Centre.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Politicians making final push for votes ahead of Holyrood by-election
With voters in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse going to the polls on Thursday June 5, parties are making their final push for votes – with both First Minister John Swinney and the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar expected in the constituency on Wednesday. 🗳️ Less than 2 days before polls open in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse! Fab to speak to so many folk who are excited to vote for @KatyLoudonSNP this Thursday 💛 #ActiveSNP #TeamSNP #VoteSNP — Sarah Masson (@_sarahmasson) June 3, 2025 It comes in the wake of a campaign which has been, for the most part, dominated by the rise in support for Reform UK – and a row over one of the party's online adverts. The ad alleged that Mr Sarwar would 'prioritise' the Pakistani community – but it was quickly branded racist by Labour, who together with rivals in the SNP demanded it should be taken down. Great to have @Nigel_Farage in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse today. Vote Reform. Get Reform. ✅ — Reform UK Scotland (@ReformUKScot) June 2, 2025 SNP leader and Scottish First Minister John Swinney meanwhile urged voters in the constituency to back his party in a bid to 'stop Nigel Farage'. His plea comes after an opinion poll in Scotland last month indicated Reform could come second in next year's Holyrood elections, ahead of both Labour and the Tories. On the doorstep, it is clear the SNP is completely failing communities in Scotland. Only Scottish Labour can beat the SNP in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. 🗳️Vote @DavyRussell4HLS on Thursday! — Elaine Stewart MP (@ElaineStewartMP) June 3, 2025 Speaking ahead of the by-election, which is taking place after the death of Scottish Government minister Christina McKelvie, Mr Swinney said that the campaign 'has made it crystal clear that the SNP is the only party listening to people and taking action on what matters to them'. The First Minister claimed: 'The Labour Party has lost its way and Keir Starmer's abject failure to deliver on his promises has led to the concerning rise of Nigel Farage across the UK – something that will worry many across Scotland. Just two days to go until the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election on Thursday 5th June 🗳️ It was great to be out yesterday in Larkhall to support @ScotTories candidate Richard Nelson. — Alex Burnett MSP (@AJABurnett) June 3, 2025 'Farage does not care about Scotland, and he also poses a threat to many of the things that we hold dear – our NHS, our parliament, and transformative policies like free tuition.' Mr Swinney insisted: 'This by-election is an opportunity to reject the politics of Farage and make sure Scotland's interests are front and centre, and only a vote for the SNP will do that.' However, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie insisted: 'The Reform circus is nothing but a convenient distraction for the SNP – this by-election is a direct fight between Scottish Labour and the SNP.' A lot of people are frustrated that they have been let down by the SNP, Conservatives and Labour but it's the Liberal Democrats who are offering real change, not Reform. Last year's general election shows that we are winning again. If you want change, come with us. — Scottish Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) June 2, 2025 She said that Thursday's poll gives voters 'the chance to put this incompetent SNP government on notice and chart a new direction for the whole of Scotland'. Ms Baillie stated: 'The SNP's woeful record is plain to see here – chaos in local NHS services, high streets in decline, and a generation of young people let down. 'The SNP government has failed this community and Katy Loudon has made it clear she will toe the party line no matter what – but Davy Russell will be a tireless champion for the community he calls home.'
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
UK's most hazardous building still leaking radioactive water, MPs warn
In a report published on Wednesday, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) criticised the speed of decommissioning work at the former nuclear power plant, citing examples of 'failure, cost overruns and continuing safety concerns'. Although the committee noted there were 'signs of improvement', PAC chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said Sellafield continued to present 'intolerable risks'. He said: 'As with the fight against climate change, the sheer scale of the hundred-year timeframe of the decommissioning project makes it hard to grasp the immediacy of safety hazards and cost overruns that delays can have. 'Every day at Sellafield is a race against time to complete works before buildings reach the end of their life. Our report contains too many signs that this is a race that Sellafield risks losing.' The PAC said those risks were underlined by the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo (MSSS), which the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) described to the committee as 'the most hazardous building in the UK'. The MSSS has been leaking radioactive water into the ground since 2018, releasing enough water to fill an Olympic swimming pool every three years, and is likely to continue leaking until the oldest section of the building has been emptied in the 2050s, around a decade later than previously expected. Pointing to the fact that Sellafield Ltd had missed most of its annual targets for retrieving waste from buildings, including the MSSS, the committee warned: 'The consequence of this underperformance is that the buildings are likely to remain extremely hazardous for longer.' The NDA has acknowledged that the leak is its 'single biggest environmental issue', and a spokeswoman said managing it and retrieving waste from the MSSS was 'our highest priority'. She added: 'As the report says, the leak in the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo is contained and does not pose a risk to the public. Regulators accept that the current plan to tackle the leak is the most effective one.' Sir Geoffrey said: 'It is of vital importance that the Government grasp the daily urgency of the work taking place at Sellafield, and shed any sense of a far-off date of completion for which no-one currently living is responsible. 'Sellafield's risks and challenges are those of the present day. 'There are some early indications of some improvement in Sellafield's delivery, which our report notes. Government must do far more to hold all involved immediately accountable to ensure these do not represent a false dawn, and to better safeguard both the public purse and the public itself.' Sellafield ceased generating electricity in 2003 and, in addition to work cleaning up the site, now processes and stores nuclear waste from power plants around the UK. In the longer term, the Government plans to create an underground geological disposal facility (GDF) to store nuclear waste for the thousands of years it will take to become safe. But the committee said delays in creating the GDF, which is now not expected to be done until the late 2050s, meant more costs for Sellafield as it required more storage facilities. NDA chief executive David Peattie said he welcomed the PAC's scrutiny and would consider how best to address its recommendations. He said: 'We take the findings seriously and the safety of the site and the wellbeing of our people will always be our highest priorities. 'As the committee has noted, Sellafield is the most complex and challenging nuclear site in the UK. We are pleased they recognise improvements in delivering major projects and that we are safely retrieving waste from all four highest hazard facilities. 'With the support of our employees, their representatives, community and stakeholders, we remain committed to driving forward improved performance and continuing to deliver our nationally important mission safely, securely and sustainably.' As well as criticising delays in clean-up operations and calling for an overhaul of how the site functions, the PAC expressed concern that there was a 'sub-optimal culture' at Sellafield. The committee pointed to the 16 non-disclosure agreements signed by Sellafield Ltd in the last 16 years, and called on the NDA to publish information about the prevalence and perception of bullying in its annual report. The NDA spokeswoman said: 'We're committed to an open and respectful culture and we've taken decisive action to enable this, including strengthening our whistleblowing policy. 'Evidence shows the improvements are working and the report acknowledges the improvement in staff survey results over recent years, but we are never complacent and will continue to strive to ensure the NDA group is a place where everyone feels respected and empowered to raise issues, knowing that they will be acted upon appropriately. 'As the report notes, it is one of the conditions of Sellafield's nuclear site licence to have a robust process for reporting safety issues and the independent nuclear regulator has given the site a green rating of compliance.' A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: 'We expect the highest standards of safety and security as former nuclear sites are dismantled, and the regulator is clear that public safety is not compromised at Sellafield. 'We continue to support the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in its oversight of Sellafield, while driving value for money. 'This is underpinned by monthly performance reviews and increased responsibility for overseeing major project performance, enabling more direct scrutiny and intervention. 'We have zero tolerance of bullying, harassment and offensive behaviour in the workplace – we expect Sellafield and the NDA to operate on this basis, investigate allegations and take robust action when needed.'
