No extra benefits for those with three or more kids. That’s the line Keir Starmer pushed on the BBC yesterday (16 July), confirming that Labour would not scrap the two-child benefit cap, which prevents parents claiming benefits for their third or subsequent child.
There seem to be two core reasons for the move. First, the policy is broadly popular with voters. A YouGov poll from last week found 60 per cent of people want to keep the limit in place, including Labour voters by 47 per cent to 35 per cent. Second, the leadership wants to close down any debate over policy that would require spending commitments, even if scrapping the cap would only cost £1.3bn a year. The strategy is to follow the opinion polls, strive to be known as the party of fiscal responsibility, and pre-empt Tory attacks on profligacy.
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