First Minister Eluned Morgan requires two-child receive advantages cap to finish

Wales’ first minister has known as on Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child receive advantages cap.

Eluned Morgan mentioned her executive used to be “really worried about child poverty” and known as the coverage, introduced in via the Conservative UK executive in 2017, “damaging”.

She mentioned it “prevents most families from claiming means-tested benefits for any third or additional children born after April of that year”. UK executive Education Secretary for England Bridget Phillipson mentioned on Tuesday the coverage had pushed many households into poverty and “nothing is off the table” as ministers imagine scrapping it.

Plaid Cymru accused Morgan of “staggering hypocrisy”, for in the past criticising its calls to finish the cap.

Speaking to BBC Wales on the Urdd Eisteddfod on Wednesday, Morgan mentioned her Welsh executive used to be “really worried about child poverty”.

The first minister met the high minister final week in London, following disagreements between the pair and Morgan calling at the Sir Keir to “cough up for Wales”.

The UK executive is predicted to announce its determination at the cap in autumn, when it publishes its baby poverty technique.

“Today we’ve issued a statement to call on the UK government to get rid of the two child benefit cap,” mentioned Morgan.

“We think it is damaging for lots of families in Wales.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s spending evaluation, which units out the United Kingdom executive’s monetary priorities between now and the following basic election, is because of conclude subsequent month.

Asked why now’s the time to scrap the kid receive advantages cap coverage, Morgan mentioned it used to be “not a new ask” from the Welsh executive, however a case of “putting it up in neon lights”, including: “Now is the time that the decisions are being made in relation to the spending review.

“There are a large number of different competing problems. I would like rail cash for Wales as smartly.

“I get that the chancellor has some tough decisions to make. But Labour needs to be the party that’s concerned about child poverty, and we are.”

Morgan mentioned she had “a really good relationship” with Sir Keir and she or he may “speak very frankly” with him.

“But there’s an understanding that I’m running a government here in Wales, and he’s running a government,” she added.

“Sometimes, our priorities are slightly different. I have to speak up for Wales and that’s what I do.

“This spending evaluation is vital, it is important, however now not all the selections, now not all the issues we wish, will probably be made up our minds within the spending evaluation.

“We may have to wait until the budget in the autumn to get some of the other things we were calling for.”

Plaid Cymru accused her of “staggering hypocrisy”.

Plaid social justice spokesperson Sioned Williams mentioned: “Just last Christmas, Eluned Morgan derided Plaid Cymru for demanding the two-child cap be scrapped,” she mentioned.

“As recently as last October, Labour MSs voted against our calls in the Senedd to stand up for children in poverty and end this cruel cap.

“Meanwhile in Westminster, now not a unmarried Welsh Labour MP subsidized our efforts to scrap it – and Keir Starmer suspended his personal MPs for vote casting to give protection to kids.

“Now, suddenly, Labour are changing their tone. One would be forgiven for thinking this isn’t about principle, but panic driven by polling, not values.”

Seven Labour MPs had the whip suspended final July, making them sit down as impartial contributors within the House of Commons, after vote casting towards Starmer’s newly-elected executive via backing an SNP modification to scrap the cap.