It’s Labour’s two child cap now
by Sir Keir Starmer’s government refused to support an SNP amendment to abolish the infamous two child cap.
The SNP put it to a vote as the new Labour government had neglected to include a commitment to scrap it. It had cross party support across the House of Commons.
Very grateful to the 102 parliamentary colleagues who backed the SNP amendment tonight.
I’m told that no Labour MPs from Scotland were in that number. https://t.co/1rCV5aEgpM
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) July 23, 2024
The cap was brought in by the Conservative government in 2015 as part of the Tory austerity agenda and limits welfare payments to the UK’s most vulnerable families.
Anti-poverty groups have slated the measure and it is confirmed that it has had little effect beyond dramatically increasing poverty rates.
BREAKING: Labour promised change yet they have just voted against scrapping the two-child cap, a cruel policy that has impacted upon 1.6 million children, with an expected additional 670,000 affected if it remains in place.
No child should be living in poverty. pic.twitter.com/ySOzdPYFaP
— The SNP (@theSNP) July 23, 2024
New figures, published by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) last week, found 1.6 million children are impacted by the Labour government’s two child benefit cap – with families losing up to £3,455 a year per child.
The charity found 300,000 children would be lifted out of poverty, and a further 700,000 would be in less deep poverty, if the two child cap was abolished.
Labour had ignored calls to scrap the cap, despite its consequences for so many vulnerable families across the UK.
🌹 In June 2024, Gordon Brown told people in Scotland to “vote Labour to end child poverty”.
🗳️ One month later, Scottish Labour MPs could vote to end what campaigners call “the single biggest driver of child poverty”.
🥀 None of them did. pic.twitter.com/akmHRFtCox
— The SNP (@theSNP) July 24, 2024
Only seven Labour MPs defied Starmer’s orders – and the prime minister suspended them from his party as punishment.
Not a single Scottish Labour MP voted to abolish the two-child cap.
All 37 backed Sir Keir Starmer over Scottish Labour boss Anas Sarwar, humiliatingly proving how ineffective and undervalued Scottish Labour is in the eyes of their Westminster bosses.
Not a single Scottish Labour MP voted in favour of scrapping the two child cap, which keeps children in poverty.
Anas Sarwar’s Labour MPs have shown themselves to be entirely unwilling and/or unable to stand up for Scotland’s children at the very first opportunity. https://t.co/0NIEQasUz7
— Angus Millar (@AngusCMillar) July 23, 2024
Despite MPs branding the cap “cruel” and prominent MPs such as Michael Shanks having promised to vote to scrap it, Scottish Labour insulted their voters in Scotland by u-turning and obeying Sir Keir Starmer.
Thousands of children in Scotland are affected by the two child cap. They will continue to face hardship and poverty as long as Labour does nothing.
The political capital Labour have spent on keeping the cap confirms what we all know; it’s Labour’s two child cap now.