Sir Keir Starmer avoided committing to considering scrapping the two-child benefit cap as he said there was “no silver bullet” to solving child poverty.
A growing number of Labor MPs have been pressing the Prime Minister to remove the cap introduced by the Conservative government, which means families can only claim child tax credits or Universal Credit for their first two children.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told Sky News on Monday that the government was “considering” removing the cap, although she said it was a “very expensive measure”.
However, asked if his government would consider removing the cap, Mr Keir I wouldn’t say.
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“In relation to poverty, what the education secretary said this morning, I agree with what she said,” he said at a press conference at the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire.
“She is passionate about fighting poverty. And child poverty in particular.”
Asked whether he would consider removing the cap, he said the passion within the Labor Party to eradicate child poverty is the reason it created a task force, led by Phillipson, to tackle the problem.
There was no mention of benefits when the task force was announced last week.
“There is no silver bullet. It was a silver bullet. It was fired a long time ago,” said the prime minister.
“It’s a complicated set of factors that I know, and that I can see every day in my own constituency, related to wages, related to benefits, related to work, related to housing, related to education, related to health.
“And that’s why a strategy is needed to deal with this, and that’s why we created a very strong chaired body to drive this work.”
Treasury Minister James Murray defended the maintenance of the cap as he told Sky News over the weekend, unfunded spending commitments destroy the economy.
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However, Sir Keir was criticized by other members of his party, including John McDonnellsenior backbencher and shadow chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn.
McDonnell told Sky News the taskforce is “a step forward but not enough” and said it was “more than likely” he would support an SNP motion calling for the cap to be scrapped.
Launch of Skills England
Sir Keir was at the Farnborough Airshow to launch Skills England, an organization to bring together central and local government, businesses, trade unions and training providers to better understand the country’s “skills gap”.
It will work with the Migration Advisory Committee to reduce long-term dependence on foreign workers by addressing areas where in-country skills can be improved.
John McDonnell is pushing for the cap to be eliminated
He said the plan “will ensure that we are training young people not just for any business, but for the businesses that exist in your communities, the skills that you and they need to advance each other.”
The Prime Minister said migration is important for the UK, but he no longer wants “overreliance” on growing numbers of immigrant workers because young people in the UK “have been let down, have not had access to the right opportunities or training in your community.” .
According to the Department for Education, skills shortages doubled between 2017 and 2022 and now account for 36% of job vacancies.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
