Rather disapointingly Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has so far reaffirmed his recent decision not to scrap the two-child benefit cap. His reasoning for making this decision is financial stating that there will have to be more ‘tough choices’ if Labour is to win the next election.

At the recent Future of Britain conference, Starmer said Labour had had to make “really ruthless” decisions telling his top team: “Tough choices is not a soundbite. We’re going to have to take them. Without them, we don’t get to the next stage.”

Senior Labour MP Stella Creasy went on to argue that scrapping the cap could in fact save money as it was “potentially costing more than it is saving” as greater hardship prevented people from finding work”.

The two child benefit cap policy was introduced by George Osborne when he was Tory chancellor. This cruel policy prevents parents from claiming universal credit for any third or subsequent child.
Scrapping the two child cap would take approximately 270,000 households with children out of poverty at an estimated cost of £1.4bn in the first year.

The benefits far outweigh the decision to keep this cruel policy. Parents would be able to afford more basic essentials to keep their children healthy and happy. This in turn would lessen families reliance upon food banks and other emergency services. It would also improve physical and mental health of both parents and children which subsequently will cut down pressure on the NHS.

It would also improve both local and national economies, if people have more money to shop locally for food and essentials the economy will improve. I accept that this wouldn’t happen overnight, but it would undoubtedly help especially when we’re experiencing a massive cost of living crisis.

Starmer has agreed that the current mood of the country is “pretty bleak” as he set out the need to reassure voters about the situation while also setting out a vision for the future. Repurposing a slogan used by New Labour, he said: “We need three things: growth, growth, growth.”

The real ‘tough choices’ are being made everyday by parents unable to provide food and clothing for their children often going without meals themselves so their children can eat. I honestly don’t think he realises how bad it is for them. If he did he would make it a priority to stop this cruel policy.

For working class people their futures are looking even bleaker than he can imagine and not making the decision to end the two child limit policy is in my eyes the wrong thing to do. I’d like to ask him several things; what have these children done to you to make you act in such a manner? Don’t they deserve a decent quality of life? Why are you enabling the continuance of their suffering which will prove to be more expensive for the country in the long term?

Call me old fashioned if you like but I believe that every child matters, that they all should have a decent quality of life, a decent education and given the support that they need to do so. Starmer should keep in mind that these children forced to live in poverty are our both our future and the countries also. They’ll eventually become the ones to make important decisions, help improve the economy and be the employees that provide the essential services that we will be dependant on when we get older.

This decision isn’t a vote winner either, decisions like this will stop people from voting labour in future elections. They aren’t going to vote for a political party that ultimately doesn’t represent them in any way and won’t fight of change on their behalf.

I hope that Keir Starmer changes his mind and decides to put our children health and wellbeing as a priority because they deserve it.