Chancellor Rachel Reeves has launched a fierce condemnation of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, after he suggested that only British-born families should benefit from the imminent scrapping of the two-child benefit cap. Reeves accused Farage of wanting to keep children in poverty based on their skin colour.
A 'Cruel Alliance' to Keep Children in Poverty
The Chancellor, who will introduce legislation to abolish the controversial cap on Thursday, expressed her anger at Farage's comments. She stated that his position was tantamount to saying some families deserved to have their children grow up in deprivation. The policy change is projected to lift approximately 550,000 children out of poverty.
Reeves challenged the logic of Farage's stance, posing a stark question: "Does Nigel Farage want to go around and say: 'White? Yeah, you can have the money. Black? No, I'm sorry, it's not for you.'" She emphasised that a child's life chances should not depend on their parents' birthplace, using the example of an NHS worker who had lived in the UK for decades but was born abroad.
Farage's U-Turn and Controversial Justification
Farage's criticism marks a significant shift. Having previously indicated he might support ending the cap, he told a press conference on Wednesday that Reform UK would now vote against the government's bill. His justification centred on concerns that the move would "benefit huge numbers of foreign-born people."
He argued for prioritising British-born people for benefits and social housing. However, analysis commissioned by Labour suggests that Farage's alternative proposal—to only lift the cap for households with two UK-born working parents—would help a mere 3,700 families, less than 1% of those currently affected.
Starmer Attacks 'Child Poverty Pact'
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to champion the policy change during a visit to Bedfordshire on Thursday. He will accuse Reform and the Conservatives, who also oppose lifting the cap, of forming a "cruel alliance" that "exposes the deep division and decline" of their agendas.
"This child poverty pact is something that should worry us all," Starmer will say. "These aren't numbers on a spreadsheet – these are children's life chances at stake."
Reeves acknowledged a coming battle for public opinion to secure the policy long-term, warning that both the Tories and Reform would seek to reverse it. She framed the measure as a clear dividing line with opposition parties and a core achievement for a Labour government focused on social justice. The new rules will come into force next April.
The press conference where Farage announced his opposition was also marked by his continued denial of allegations of racist and antisemitic bullying during his schooldays at Dulwich College. Dismissing the accounts of over 30 individuals as "complete made-up fantasies," he offered no apology to his accusers.
