Labour two-child cap vote a shameful start to Starmer's tenure
The Labour Party has voted to condemn hundreds of thousands of children to completely avoidable poverty, says the Scottish Greens social security spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP.
Speaking after tonight's vote on removing the cruel two-child benefit cap, Ms Chapman said: “This is an utterly shameful start to Sir Keir Starmer's tenure. He and his colleagues have chosen to continue one of the most appalling Tory legacies and condemn hundreds of thousands of children and their families to totally avoidable poverty.
“The two child cap is a disgraceful policy and has no place in any humane social security system. It is based on inflicting humiliation and punishment on some of the most vulnerable people in the country. We don't need a review to tell us that.
“There are no excuses. This cap is a disgrace and it must be scrapped.”
Ms Chapman added: “In Scotland we have tried to do things differently, with a Scottish Child Payment that has lifted children and families out of poverty, free bus travel for young people and steps to ensure that the benefits Scotland controls have compassion and dignity at their heart.
“There is a lot more that we have to do at all levels of government, but Labour has just chosen to keep one of the cruellest and most unfair aspects of the system in place. Shame on them.”