Latest news with #ReformUK
South Wales Argus
19 minutes ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
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. Nigel Farage has said Reform UK would abolish the two-child benefit cap (Jacob King/PA) '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.
The National
23 minutes ago
- Politics
- The National
Nigel Farage to visit Aberdeen on Monday to campaign ahead of Hamilton by-election
Four Aberdeenshire councillors have defected to Reform UK in recent months, with the region being seen as a key battleground for the party in the Holyrood elections next year. Farage is expected to be joined by his deputy Richard Tice and speak to media on Monday. The location has not been given to the public. READ MORE: I saw Angela Rayner's farcical Scotland visit first-hand. Here's what happened It will be his first trip north of the Border since he attended a campaign event for the Brexit Party in 2019. His visit to Edinburgh in 2013 descended into chaos after the former Ukip leader had to take refuge in a pub in the Royal Mile after he was protested by independence supporters. The Reform MP had to be rescued by police in a riot van. The Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse Holyrood by-election, set to take place on June 5, had become a 'straight contest' between the SNP and Farage's Reform, according to John Swinney. Reform UK have spent more than £10,000 promoting a 'racist' advert which falsely claims that Sarwar has 'said he will prioritise the Pakistani community', continuing to pour money into it despite accusations of 'race-baiting'. The online ad – which the SNP and Labour have demanded be removed by Meta – shows clips of Sarwar calling for more representation of Scots with south Asian heritage, although he did not say he would prioritise any one group. Reform UK has defended the video and said it was merely highlighting Sarwar's own words. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner cancelled her campaign visit to Scottish Labour's Hamilton hub on Thursday after a demonstration to greet her was organised by members of the Scottish Socialist Party and the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who chanted slogans including 'Rayner, Rayner, you can't hide, you're supporting genocide' and 'don't vote for genocide'.
The Herald Scotland
29 minutes ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Starmer and Farage in ‘race to the bottom' on child benefit cap, says Badenoch
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. Nigel Farage has said Reform UK would abolish the two-child benefit cap (Jacob King/PA) '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.
Western Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
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. Nigel Farage has said Reform UK would abolish the two-child benefit cap (Jacob King/PA) '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.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'Dodgy Maths': Farage Slammed After True Cost Of 'DEI' Government Programmes Revealed
Nigel Farage has been accused of 'dodgy maths' after a £7 billion black hole in his spending plans was revealed. The Reform UK leader claimed he would be able to save that much every year by scrapping government 'diversity, equity and inclusion' (DEI) schemes. He said that would then go towards funding his party's plans to re-instate winter fuel payments, lift the two-child benefit cap and cut taxes. Speaking at an event in Westminster on Tuesday, Farage said DEI was 'estimated to cost government £7 billion every year'. But figures revealed by the Cabinet Office show that the actual amount spent by the civil service on those schemes in 2022/23 was just £27.1 million. A Cabinet Office source said: 'Nigel Farage's dodgy maths would be no joke for families. Like Liz Truss, he'd send a wrecking back through the economy, leaving working people to pick up the bill.' Farage has come in for widespread criticism after unveiling his spending plans, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies saying his tax cut plans alone would cost up to £80 billion. In a speech on Thursday, Keir Starmer accused him of planning a 'mad experiment' with the UK economy. He said: 'Farage is making the exact same bet Liz Truss did – that you can spend tens of billions on tax cuts without a proper way of paying for it. 'And just like Truss, he is using your family finances, your mortgage, your bills as a gambling chip on his mad experiment. The result will be the same.' But Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin told GB News that the prime minister was 'scaremongering'. She said: 'By scrapping the DEI woke nonsense projects across the civil service, across businesses, we will save £35 billion.' Keir Starmer Says Nigel Farage Is Trying To 'Poison Our Politics' Keir Starmer Warns Nigel Farage's 'Mad Experiment' Would Ruin Economy Like Liz Truss Robert Jenrick Suggests Nigel Farage Is On Drugs For Wanting To Scrap Two-Child Benefit Cap
