Starmer and Farage in ‘race to the bottom' on child benefit cap, says Badenoch
Writing in the Daily Mail, the Tory leader accused Sir Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage of engaging in a 'race to the bottom' on welfare.
She said: 'Apparently, Starmer and Farage now believe in getting taxpayers – many of whom are struggling to raise their own children or choosing not to have them in the first place – to fund unlimited child support for others.
'That's not fair, it's not sustainable and it's not even compassionate. Welfare traps people, builds dependency and it drives up costs for everyone.'
Her comments come after Mr Farage announced his party would abolish the cap as part of a series of spending promises including reinstating the winter fuel allowance and changing rules on tax-free allowances for married couples.
At the same time, the Prime Minister said his Government was looking at 'all options' to drive down child poverty, but has not committed to getting rid of the cap.
Mrs Badenoch said both leaders' comments on the cap showed they were 'content to make promises they can't keep', arguing the Conservatives were 'going to be the party of sound money and fiscal responsibility again'.
The cap, introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, prevents Universal Credit claimants from receiving additional benefits for a third or subsequent child born after April 5 2017.
Campaigners say the cap exacerbates child poverty and has had a minimal impact on birth rate or family size.
The Child Poverty Action Group has said abolishing the cap would lift 350,000 children out of poverty and mean another 700,000 were in less deep poverty.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
9 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Tories brand blaming weather ‘lazy' as likely days for Channel crossings double
The Government published the statistics just days after a record number of daily arrivals for this year, as the Conservatives likened ministers blaming the weather to being a lazy student claiming 'the dog ate my homework'. There were 60 so-called 'red' days between January 1 and April 30 this year, when factors such as wind speed, wave height and the likelihood of rain meant crossings were classed by officials as 'likely' or 'highly likely'. Some 11,074 migrants arrived in the UK during these four months after crossing the Channel. By contrast, there were 27 red days in the same period last year, less than half the number in 2025, with 7,567 arrivals recorded – nearly a third lower than the total for this year. There were also 27 red days in the first four months of 2022, with 23 red days in 2023, with 6,691 and 5,946 arrivals in these periods, respectively. Reacting to the figures, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour seems to think praying for bad weather is a good border security strategy. 'This is a weak Government, with no plan to end illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'Blaming the weather for the highest ever crossing numbers so far this year is the border security equivalent of a lazy student claiming 'the dog ate my homework'. 'This is a clear failure for our weak Prime Minister and his weak Home Secretary.' Mr Philp also said the reason for the 'worst year in history' for Channel crossings was because the Labour Government cancelled the Rwanda plan to deter migrants coming to the UK, not the weather. Assessments of the likelihood of migrant crossings are prepared for the Home Office by the Met Office. They are colour-coded red, amber or green according to the likelihood of activity based on environmental and other factors, including wave height, surf conditions on beaches, wind speed and direction, the chance of rain, and other weather trends. Red days mean the probability of migrant activity in the Channel is greater than 55%, with crossings classed as 'likely' or 'highly likely'. A group of people thought to be migrants wade into the water to board an approaching small boat at Gravelines, France, in an attempt to reach the UK (Gareth Fuller/PA) Green days are determined by the likelihood being less than 35%, with crossings 'unlikely' or 'highly unlikely'. The analysis is based on data recorded in the Dover Strait and does not consider wider factors such as the availability of dinghies. The publication comes just days after 1,195 migrants made the journey to the UK in 19 boats on Saturday, in the highest daily total recorded so far this year. The cumulative total for the year, 14,812, is the highest for the first five months of a year since data collection began in 2018. Downing Street said the Government wanted to break the link between favourable weather conditions and the number of English Channel crossings by small boats. The Prime Minister's official spokesman acknowledged there were 'no quick fixes' to the problem of tackling migrant crossings. He said: 'The point is that we need to break the link between the level of crossings being reliant on the weather and that is why we need to work upstream with our partners to smash the people-smuggling gangs.' Elsewhere, the data shows the number of migrants arriving per boat has been on an upward trend since data was first recorded in 2018, when the average for the year was seven. It rose to 11 per boat in 2019, 13 in 2020, 28 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 49 in 2023 and 53 in 2024. So far this year, the average has been 56. Gunes Kalkan, of Safe Passage International, said the rise only increases the risk to people's lives. 'This indicates the Government's approach isn't working, as the smugglers continue to exploit the lack of safe routes for refugees, cramming more and more people dangerously on each boat,' he said. 'But let's always remember these aren't just 'numbers'. People fleeing the horrors of war and persecution are simply seeking a safe life, and often to reunite with family they were torn apart from in the chaos. 'If this Government is serious about saving lives and stopping the smugglers, it must open safe routes and expand refugee family reunion.' The Government has vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs, including by handing counter terror-style powers to law enforcement agencies under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently going through Parliament. A Home Office spokesman said: 'This Government is restoring grip to the broken asylum system it inherited that saw a whole criminal smuggling enterprise allowed to develop, where gangs have been able to exploit periods of good weather to increase the rate of crossings for too long.' The spokesman added that 9,000 crossings have been prevented from the French coastline this year. Officials are understood to be pessimistic about the prospect of bringing numbers down this year, with measures not expected to start paying off until 2026. On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs the Government is pressing their French counterparts to bring in agreed changes that would allow French police to also take action in the sea when migrants climb into boats from the water. 'A French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete this review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible,' she said. 'I have been in touch with the French interior minister who supports stronger action again this weekend, and there are further discussions under way this week.'
Time Out
13 minutes ago
- Time Out
Could this east London borough really split from the capital?
It's well known that London is a huge city made up of slightly smaller towns. Each borough brings its own unique identity to the capital, but one is currently trying to break free from the city and instead become part of Essex. The London borough of Havering is the city's easternmost point. It's mostly suburbs, is home to places like Romford, Upminster, and Hornchurch, and, according to Andrew Rosindel, the Tory MP for Romford, is 'geographically Essex'. Andrew Rosindell stated his case for Havering to return to its Essex roots in parliament last month. He said: 'We are historically Essex. We are culturally Essex and our social, sporting and commercial connections have always looked towards the county of Essex'. He continued: 'My constituents and I are proud of our Essex identity, which transcends local government or administrative boundaries that are forever changing—as they are again today'. This comes after Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, announced plans last year to increase devolution to local authorities and streamline local services. Currently, different responsibilities, such as bins and schooling, are often managed by different levels of local government – the current Labour government wants to see all council responsibilities come under a single, centralised form of leadership. For some smaller authorities, this could mean merging to form a larger, unitary council. This is part of what Rosindell is worried about. With only 260,000 residents, Havering would need to combine with another similarly sized borough to form a big enough authority to stay in London. Instead, he argues that the preferable option would be taking the 'once-in-almost-a-century chance to look afresh at the old boundaries of Greater London that were constructed six decades ago.' He added: 'It is also very costly for us to be part of Greater London, as we pay tens of millions of pounds per year to the Greater London Authority. 'That equates to […] an exorbitant amount of money that my constituents simply cannot afford.' The move, dubbed 'Hexit' by some local supporters, is unlikely to happen in the near future, though. Jim McMahon, the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, who Rosindell was addressing in his speech, has stated that; 'It is currently not envisaged that the boundaries of Greater London will be changed.' However, he did also say that the area covered by the Essex local mayor could be expanded in future 'should it be locally desired and should statutory tests be met', so all hope is not lost for you loyal Hexiteers. As it stands, Havering will remain in London, at least for now. However, now that the cat is out of the bag, it is not difficult to envisage a future where it returns to its rural roots and officially embraces the Essex way of life once again.
Western Telegraph
24 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Tories brand blaming weather ‘lazy' as likely days for Channel crossings double
The Government published the statistics just days after a record number of daily arrivals for this year, as the Conservatives likened ministers blaming the weather to being a lazy student claiming 'the dog ate my homework'. There were 60 so-called 'red' days between January 1 and April 30 this year, when factors such as wind speed, wave height and the likelihood of rain meant crossings were classed by officials as 'likely' or 'highly likely'. Some 11,074 migrants arrived in the UK during these four months after crossing the Channel. By contrast, there were 27 red days in the same period last year, less than half the number in 2025, with 7,567 arrivals recorded – nearly a third lower than the total for this year. There were also 27 red days in the first four months of 2022, with 23 red days in 2023, with 6,691 and 5,946 arrivals in these periods, respectively. Reacting to the figures, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: 'Labour seems to think praying for bad weather is a good border security strategy. 'This is a weak Government, with no plan to end illegal immigrants crossing the Channel. 'Blaming the weather for the highest ever crossing numbers so far this year is the border security equivalent of a lazy student claiming 'the dog ate my homework'. 'This is a clear failure for our weak Prime Minister and his weak Home Secretary.' Mr Philp also said the reason for the 'worst year in history' for Channel crossings was because the Labour Government cancelled the Rwanda plan to deter migrants coming to the UK, not the weather. Assessments of the likelihood of migrant crossings are prepared for the Home Office by the Met Office. They are colour-coded red, amber or green according to the likelihood of activity based on environmental and other factors, including wave height, surf conditions on beaches, wind speed and direction, the chance of rain, and other weather trends. Red days mean the probability of migrant activity in the Channel is greater than 55%, with crossings classed as 'likely' or 'highly likely'. A group of people thought to be migrants wade into the water to board an approaching small boat at Gravelines, France, in an attempt to reach the UK (Gareth Fuller/PA) Green days are determined by the likelihood being less than 35%, with crossings 'unlikely' or 'highly unlikely'. The analysis is based on data recorded in the Dover Strait and does not consider wider factors such as the availability of dinghies. The publication comes just days after 1,195 migrants made the journey to the UK in 19 boats on Saturday, in the highest daily total recorded so far this year. The cumulative total for the year, 14,812, is the highest for the first five months of a year since data collection began in 2018. Downing Street said the Government wanted to break the link between favourable weather conditions and the number of English Channel crossings by small boats. The Prime Minister's official spokesman acknowledged there were 'no quick fixes' to the problem of tackling migrant crossings. He said: 'The point is that we need to break the link between the level of crossings being reliant on the weather and that is why we need to work upstream with our partners to smash the people-smuggling gangs.' Elsewhere, the data shows the number of migrants arriving per boat has been on an upward trend since data was first recorded in 2018, when the average for the year was seven. It rose to 11 per boat in 2019, 13 in 2020, 28 in 2021, 41 in 2022, 49 in 2023 and 53 in 2024. So far this year, the average has been 56. Gunes Kalkan, of Safe Passage International, said the rise only increases the risk to people's lives. 'This indicates the Government's approach isn't working, as the smugglers continue to exploit the lack of safe routes for refugees, cramming more and more people dangerously on each boat,' he said. 'But let's always remember these aren't just 'numbers'. People fleeing the horrors of war and persecution are simply seeking a safe life, and often to reunite with family they were torn apart from in the chaos. 'If this Government is serious about saving lives and stopping the smugglers, it must open safe routes and expand refugee family reunion.' The Government has vowed to crack down on people smuggling gangs, including by handing counter terror-style powers to law enforcement agencies under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently going through Parliament. A Home Office spokesman said: 'This Government is restoring grip to the broken asylum system it inherited that saw a whole criminal smuggling enterprise allowed to develop, where gangs have been able to exploit periods of good weather to increase the rate of crossings for too long.' The spokesman added that 9,000 crossings have been prevented from the French coastline this year. Officials are understood to be pessimistic about the prospect of bringing numbers down this year, with measures not expected to start paying off until 2026. On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told MPs the Government is pressing their French counterparts to bring in agreed changes that would allow French police to also take action in the sea when migrants climb into boats from the water. 'A French maritime review is looking at what new operational tactics they will use, and we are urging France to complete this review and implement the changes as swiftly as possible,' she said. 'I have been in touch with the French interior minister who supports stronger action again this weekend, and there are further discussions under way this week.'
