Shadow chancellor and ex-Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) boss Mel Stride has launched a preposterous critique of Nigel Farage, drawing comparisons between the Reform UK leader and… Jeremy Corbyn. Yes, he really did say that – to the Spectator, of all places. It was, predictably, over the two-child benefit cap.
Mel Stride: the Wet Wipe returns
Stride’s bizarre comment comes on the heels of Farage announcing plans to abolish the controversial two-child benefit cap, a policy that has come under fire for exacerbating child poverty among the UK’s most vulnerable families.
Farage asserted:
We believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do. Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them.
Retaliating to Reform clearly putting water between themselves and the Tories, Stride quipped to the Spectator:
Farage has announced billions in unfunded commitments with fantasy ways to pay for them. It’s Corbynism in a different colour.
Stride’s dismissive response reflects a broader tension within British politics, where established parties are forced to confront the growth of the far-right, who are playing political games to garner support.
The two-child benefit cap
The two-child benefit cap, introduced by the Conservative government in 2017, limits families to receiving extra financial support through Universal Credit only for their first two children. Critics argue that this policy has cruelly stripped assistance from struggling families and contributed directly to rising levels of child poverty, affecting approximately 1.6 million children across the UK.
If the cap remains in place, it is estimated that 670,000 more children will face poverty in the coming years, a devastating statistic that underlines the significance of this debate. The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have also echoed calls for its removal, with Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper branding it “heartless.”
In contrast, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch staunchly defends the cap, proclaiming it to be “right” and “fair.” She has imperiously dismissed the proposals from Farage and Labour leader Keir Starmer as mere political pandering, asserting:
I am saying what is the right thing to do – it may not be popular, but it is absolutely the right thing to do.
However, many are questioning whose interests this policy serves. The evidence reveals that low-income families, especially those with multiple children, find themselves shouldering the burden of what many perceive as a misguided austerity measure rather than a moral or fiscal necessity.
Labour in turmoil – and Farage is playing on that
As the Labour Party grapples with internal divisions over welfare policies, it is reportedly considering scrapping the two-child benefit cap in response to rising public dissatisfaction.
Education Minister Bridget Phillipson confirmed that this proposal remains on the table as part of broader efforts to combat child poverty. The party’s recent struggles in local elections -losing ground to far-right Reform – further illustrate the shifting political landscape, compelling Labour to reconsider its stance.
Critics within Labour, including veteran MP John McDonnell, argue that lifting the cap is essential for rectifying the injustices inflicted by earlier policies and significantly reducing child poverty.
Farage’s call to scrap the two-child cap, along with his proposals to enhance welfare benefits and tax breaks for married couples, is part of a concerted effort to align himself as a moderate alternative to the Conservative government’s current trajectory.
The two-child benefit cap: of course Farage wouldn’t scrap it.
Of course, this is demonstrable nonsense. Farage’s racist, classist party has no care for low-paid workers – who, incidentally, make up 59% of families affected by the two-child benefit cap. He is merely playing political games to force Labour to act – while presenting his as the party of poor(er) people.
And if Reform did get into government, there is no way that it would scrap the cap. If anything, as per the party’s MPs’ previous comments, people on benefits would be even worse off than under Labour and the Tories.
So, on the face of it, Stride is not actually wrong when he says that Reform’s policies are effectively uncosted drivel. However, he’d do well to remember that Labour’s two manifestos under Corbyn were fully costed. But of course, using Corbyn to attack Farage (when the former may be about to launch a new party) seems like an easy win for the Tories.
Overall, the crucial question remains: will Labour seize this opportunity to shift towards more compassionate policies, or will the fiscal realities dictate a return to austerity and further entrench the hardships faced by society’s most vulnerable?
As this dynamic scenario unfolds, the voices of working families must be centred in the national conversation, signalling the desperate need for real change in the UK’s welfare system.
Featured image via the Canary
