SNP to reverse Labour’s cruel two child benefit cap and push on to eradicate child poverty for all of us

By Professor John Robertson OBA

From the National minutes ago:

2:40pm

BREAKING: The SNP will axe the UK Government’s controversial two-child benefit cap for thousands of Scots.

Finance Secretary Shona Robison will make the announcement in her Holyrood Budget speech in just a matter of minutes, according to The Scottish Sun. 

This would be a big move, and one that will put Anas Sarwar and Scottish Labour in a tricky position

…https://www.thenational.scot/news/24770245.scottish-budget-live-snp-set-tax-spending-plans/?ref=ebbn&nid=1457&u=373de6c7573215d01eab2a2993b269b0&date=041224

At 15:25 she did it!

Why is this a major moment in history?

From the London School of Economics in September 2023

Introduced in 2017, the UK government’s two-child benefit cap was supposed to incentivise parents into work. Instead, it has plunged a rising number of children into poverty, research by Kitty Stewart reveals, harming not just their experiences of childhood today, but their long-term opportunities and life chances.

https://www.lse.ac.uk/research/research-for-the-world/politics/two-child-benefit-cap-poverty#:~:text=Introduced%20in%202017%2C%20the%20UK,term%20opportunities%20and%20life%20chances.

The research to prove this claim is long-established and irrefutable.

First, from Edinburgh University researchers in 2022:

People who have suffered extreme difficulties in childhood are more likely to commit crimes as adults than those who have not, a study suggests. Childhood experiences such as poverty, maltreatment, school exclusion and police contact are associated with serious offending and frequent criminal convictions in adulthood, the report found.1

Second, from the Mental Health Foundation in 2010:

Children and adults living in households in the lowest 20% income bracket in Great Britain are two to three times more likely to develop mental health problems than those in the highest.

In 2004, evidence from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Survey found that the prevalence of severe mental health problems was around three times higher among children in the bottom quintile of family income than among those in the top quintile.

Analysis of data from the Millennium Cohort Study in 2012 found children in the lowest income quintile to be 4.5 times more likely to experience severe mental health problems than those in the highest, suggesting that the income gradient in young people’s mental health has worsened considerably over the past decade.2

Third, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2022:

Children living in poverty are more likely to have poorer health outcomes including higher risk of mortality, poor physical health, and mental health problems.3

Fourth, from the Nuffield Trust in 2022:

Children are more likely to be obese or overweight in areas of England where there is more childhood poverty, lower breastfeeding rates and where fewer adults undertake physical exercise.4

Fifth, from BJPsych Open in 2022:

Poverty in adolescence is associated with later drug use.5

Sixth, from the Child Poverty Action Group in 2022:

The causal relationship between child poverty and educational outcomes is well established, with children from lower-income households less likely to achieve than their more affluent peers. This results in unequal life chances and futures, with children growing up in poverty earning less as adults.6

Seventh, from UK Government researchers in 2014:

Children from low-income backgrounds are less likely to progress in education and attend higher education institutions and disadvantaged children who start out as high-attainers are overtaken by their better-off peers who were initially average-attainers.7

Eighth, from the Lancet in 2022:

Children in care face adverse health outcomes throughout their life course compared with their peers. In England, over the past decade, the stark rise in the number of cared-for children has coincided with rising child poverty, a key risk factor for children entering care. We report evidence that rising child poverty rates might be contributing to an increase in children entering care. Children’s exposure to poverty creates and compounds adversity, driving poor health and social outcomes in later life. National anti-poverty policies are key to tackling adverse trends in children’s care entry in England.8

Think how much we might save if the above was far less true. Think of how much wealth would be generated by the thousands liberated and given a meaningful stake in a shared world.

I could go on. It’s endless. Being born into poverty makes everything more difficult, everything good more likely but eradicating child poverty, as a priority above all others, will pay off for all of us in creating a better society in all the places that matter.

Sources:

  1. https://www.law.ed.ac.uk/news-events/news/children-exposed-poverty-and-trauma-more-likely-offend-adults#:~:text=Childhood%20experiences%20such%20as%20poverty,in%20adulthood%2C%20the%20report%20found.
  2. https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/poverty-statistics
  3. https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/child-health-inequalities-position-statement
  4. https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/nuffield-trust-child-obesity-levels-likely-to-be-higher-in-areas-with-more-poverty-and-lower-breastfeeding-rates
  5. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-open/article/poverty-in-adolescence-and-later-drug-use-disorders-understanding-the-mediation-and-interaction-effects-of-other-psychiatric-disorders/8522FB4CBD952B94F85A6161E47670EE
  6. https://cpag.org.uk/news/there-only-so-much-we-can-do-school-staff-england#:~:text=The%20causal%20relationship%20between%20child,poverty%20earning%20less%20as%20adults.
  7. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smcpc-research-on-attainment-of-disadvantaged-children#:~:text=Disadvantaged%20children%20who%20start%20out,of%20the%20least%20deprived%20children.
  8. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667%2822%2900065-2/fulltext

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22 thoughts on “SNP to reverse Labour’s cruel two child benefit cap and push on to eradicate child poverty for all of us”

  1. It’s good that the SNP are abolishing the two-child be if it cap but it shouldn’t be in 2026, it should be now. Also, the SNP aren’t going to “eradicate” child poverty. As long as Scotland is a capitalist state, that’s never going to happen.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Meanwhile I assume they are going to continue paying the Child Payment which goes some way to mitigate the 2-child cap. Therefore the families will still be better off than similar families in England

      Liked by 6 people

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    2. As long as Scotland is shackled to the country next door that removes their revenues and sends crumbs back with added contempt, it will be impossible to eradicate child poverty and keep the wolf from the door re funding social security and well, everything. England’s imposed austerity is to the detriment of Scotland and the English government are laughing their heads off.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Great news to hear you have re-joined the SNP. You are a huge asset to the independence movement. The SNP should put you in charge of their failed rebuttal unit

      Aldo

      Liked by 5 people

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  4. Ok Ok what’s all this excitement about removing the two child cap after all Labour have reminded us for the 50th time they inherited this huge £22bn hole and they just HAD to fill it by cutting the Winter fuel, attacking Pensioners and keeping the Cap after all what else could they have done for a political Party that supposedly (snigger) represents the working class? I repeat…. after the Gen Election a new Labour Gov in Westminster just brings Indy closer as Scots (even the dumbest Unionists) will realise they do not and certainly not Scots.

    I’m beginning to love Starmer as much as Boris.

    Robbo

    Liked by 3 people

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  5. But the BBC is already asking if Scotland can afford the SNP budget. I’ve no doubt the National news channels tonight will be ripping it to bits.

    Liked by 5 people

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  6. “SNP to reverse Labour’s cruel two child benefit cap and push on to eradicate child poverty for all of us”

    So The Guardian , an alleged Labour newspaper, stated that “More than one in three children in poverty as UK deprivation hits record high. Exclusive: Study finds almost quarter of UK population living in poverty, reaching the highest level this century!”

    That’s the UK in poverty and deprivation and not , as we are all supposed to always believe, as in that poverty and deprivation is supposedly only confined to Scotland alone because of #SNPBAD.

    “UK deprivation hits record high” so there has been some “Change” then since Labour have become the new UK government, the problem being it is a “Change” for the worse.

    By the way the header on this article may be altered as another ‘lost in translation’ piece by BBC Scotland, where they will present this as only happening because of apparent (but not really) “pressure was applied by Labour in Scotland”.

    Just as they, the BBC, also presented the Scottish government’s announcement on Winter fuel payment for pensioners in Scotland to be paid to all pensioners next year, only happened, according to BBC Scotland’s Political editors, because apparently ‘Labour applied pressure” upon the SNP. (also not true).

    In fact Glenn Campbell wrote on the BBC website that on the WFP change by the Scottish government “The offer is not very different to what Scottish Labour has been demanding”.

    Hmm, and there was us hearing that Anas Sarwar at one point (prior to this action being taken by the Scottish government) was trying to justify this action taken by his UK party.

    That is him, Sarwar, trying to justify Labour UK cutting the Universal WFP for pensioners, with him, Sarwar, using what is now considered by many people to be just a weak excuse being used by Labour politicians , as in them noting way way way too much , that everything (cruel) that the UK Labour are now doing is the supposed fault of the “Financial black hole”.

    However also to blame , according to Labour, is the previous Tory UK government , and not apparently in any way is it the fault of the self proclaimed ‘blameless’ party that Labour self identifies as .

    I see Labour UK are continuing with that which the Tory party started, as in targeting and demonising those in poverty, so no “Change” there then (as we on here , and others too, predicted would be the case if Labour won the UK GE).

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  7. O/T but I see the BBC its studiously ignoring the Amnesty International Report about Gaza that concludes that Israel is committing genocide in its actions against Gaza and its inhabitants.

    Every other media organisation that I have checked has this first item news…

    Jon M

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. “I see the BBC its studiously ignoring the Amnesty International Report about Gaza”

      Indeed they are because as a media they are mostly always on the wrong side in both supporting and also trying to protect the wrong people.

      The Middle East Eye has a article entitled:

      “Biden and Starmer are destroying international law to protect Israel’s genocide”

      This piece, written by Jonathan Cook, stated “When everything is exposed as a lie, the biggest liars triumph. The forces of darkness rush in to fill the void. That is the future awaiting us”

      So true.

      He notes that “For more than a year, those calling for an end to Israel’s slaughter of civilians in Gaza have been relentlessly vilified: as apologists for Hamas  as anti-Semites, even as supporters of genocide against Israel and the wider Jewish people”.

      “These smears have been buttressed by western politicians and the media insisting that Israel is conducting a legitimate, “defensive” war with limited aims: supposedly to eradicate Hamas and free a few dozen remaining Israeli hostages”.

      This online article was written on the 4 December and I would urge people to read it as everything it states I think is both true and accurate, in fact much of what is written in this article is the truth that is omitted by much of the mainstream media here within the UK , and also as truth is then deliberately ignored by certain politicians here as well.

      How many times have we heard Keir Starmer try to justify all that Israel has done with him stating “Israel has a right to defend itself” .

      Then also previously, in the past , the vilification of Corbyn by the likes of Starmer and others within the Labour party, where he Corbyn, was labelled anti Semitic to try to shut down any debate upon or criticism of Israel and their treatment of Palestinians.

      A treatment against Palestinians which has existed long before October 7 2023. ( a date that much of the UK media here see as the only significant date and so report it as the significant date in all of this so called ‘conflict’ between Israel and Palestine- which the media report as being a a conflict between Israel and Hamas).

      Amnesty International stated that “As for the last 50 years Israel has been forcing thousands of Palestinians off their land , occupying it and illegally using it to create settlements that exclusively house Jewish Israel settlers”

      This is not Israel defending itself , as Starmer always states is the case, but Israel destroying the places where Palestinians live and also killing thousands of men, women and children , for Israel to then take complete ownership of that land for their own people to live.

      The hypocrisy of western leaders when they talk about Human Rights when many of them are turning a blind eye to what has been done by Netanyahu and also the actions of the IDF against Palestinians.

      Starmer does not speak for me and I do not recognise him as my country’s PM.

      I do hope someone on here who is more tech savvy, as I am useless at it, can link this article onto here as it tells a few home truths about the likes of Starmer and others that much of the media, like the BBC, prefer not to expose in respect to UK and international news that we, as UK citizens, do NOT get where we are as the news not provided by the UK media.

      Starmer and Lammy are indeed complicit in the cover up of the genocide being committed by Israel as are others too, such as some within the UK media, who collude with those politicians here who are supporting and so condoning much of what Netanyahu and the IFD have done to Palestinians, in them as a UK media failing to report the truth while instead promoting a version of their truth which bears no resemblance to actual truth upon what Israel has done for many many years with the blessing of much of the powers that be within the West like say Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for example.

      I could cry at how little some people within the UK care about all of this, where for some people there is no empathy or compassion being shown for the Palestinians, and with some people voting for Labour in the UK GE as the new UK government, well it then sent a message to Labour that they can continue to support genocide by Israel , as some people here in the UK ,as voters , would continue to ignore Labour and Starmer backing Israel’s terrible atrocities against Palestinians.

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  8. I noticed this morning that the Herald today did not have anything on its front page about the Scottish Gov’s budget. All the other papers gave it front page space. Hmm

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    1. Ah, but the Herald has one of Brian Wilsons mealy mouthed pieces, “Another SNP budget low on ambition and high on political point-scoring”.

      It is indeed sad times for the Herald and its remaining staff and readers, when it has to resort to Brian Wilson’s drivel in response to the Scottish Budget announcement.

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  9. SNP lift the two child cap imposed initially by the Tory party and then maintained by the Labour UK party as the new UK goevrnment.

    Tweet yesterday from the Daily Record’s Paul Hutcheon.

    “Nightmare for Labour as John Swinney plans to lift two child benefit cap in Budget. Can Labour really vote against this Budget”?

    MSM Monitor responded to this tweet by stating.

    “When even Scottish Labour’s media activist-in-chief posts this, you know Sarwar’s in trouble. Worst possible scenario? Sarwar abstains but Leonard and Rowley, who have both called for the winter fuel cut and two child cap to be scrapped, rebel and back the SNP budget”.

    Yep, Anas Sarwar now caught between a rock and a hard place (again) as he has to once again navigate through the mess Labour UK have created and so it leaves him in (yet another) very sticky position of him not wanting to look as if he is opposing UK Labour but also not voting against the reversal of this policy by the SNP, which he said he supposdley wanted “scrapped immediately as a policy” (according to the BBC that is).

    A conundrum that many a pro UK politician rogue within Holyrood finds themselves in Ha Ha.

    Where Sarwar, and others within Labour at Holyrood, cannot go against their HQ party but also they cannot vote against that which they know to be a cruel policy and as a cruel policy they stated they supposdley opposed.

    As to MSM Monitor stating it could be a scenario where Sarwar may abstain, well I am sorry, this is not an abstaining matter, as you either support what the SNP are doing with this cruel policy or you do not support it as you would rather support your UK party with them maintaining it as a cruel Tory policy , and as a Tory policy it is one that targets those who are some of the most vulnerable within the UK.

    As in the same vulnerable people that Labour here keep insisting the SNP are letting down in Scotland, so if Sarwar and others in labour do abstain on this then who is it who is really letting vulnerable people down in Scotland ?

    Labour abstain, is that not a familiar position we have often witnessed in both Holyrood and also at WM when Labour were the supposed official opposition party (supposdley opposition to the Tories that is but often failing to oppose Tory polices).

    That speaks volumes as to their , Labour’s, lack of principles as both a party and also as individual politicians, where the party always comes first with many of them as opposed to those that they, as politicians, are supposdley meant to represent. (as in those who elected them as their MP or their Constituency MSP, as in the voters who are then their constituents).

    So if you vote Labour in 2026 to see them win the Scottish election you will then not be voting for action to be taken to help the people in Scotland , but you will be voting for Labour to impose that which Labour HQ want them to adopt as policies and as a future direction, like keeping the two child cap for example and promoting the non fact aka the LIE that the UK is best for Scotland.

    Vote SNP to win in 2026 or we will all suffer Labour’s , and also other pro UK parties, British Nationalist consequences.

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  11. I hesitate to claim that the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) is motivated to deliver only negative messages when it comes to the Scottish Government and its policies. But sometimes …!

    Perhaps it’s more that the IFS fails to place its negative comments about Scotland in a proper – arguably in a fair, reasonable, realistic – context. It fails to acknowledge the limitations on the Scottish Government – and on governments in NI and Wales – of the devolved settlements they must work within. As a current example, see below.

    Source: David Phillips (December 5, 2024) SNP’s tax strategy is a missed opportunity – Shona Robison’s budget speech failed to set out a long-term plan for growth-enhancing reforms. Published in The Times and reproduced in the IFS website.

    ‘Beyond income tax though, the tax strategy provides little sense of direction on tax policy. On council tax and business rates, for example, there is merely an intention to continue dialogue and engagement.

    ‘It does not inspire confidence that much-needed reform will actually happen.’

    ‘The strategy is a missed opportunity to set out a long-term plan for growth-enhancing reforms to Scotland’s tax system.’

    We know the severely limited agency Scottish governments have over tax matters: even over personal income the tax powers are partial. Furthermore, the optimal strategic exercise of its powers requires governments operating within a devolved settlement to have some sense of what the Westminster government is likely to do over the short, medium and longer term.

    Source: Paul Johnson (November 11, 2024) The budget was a non-event and kicked big decisions down the road. Published in The Times and reproduced in the IFS website.

    On the budget delivered by the British Labour Party’s Chancellor: ‘Before last month’s budget I thought it would be the defining moment of this parliament. In its immediate aftermath I thought it was a big deal, a huge set of tax, spend and borrow decisions. As the dust has settled on it, though, I’ve changed my mind. It was not a big event at all. It did little more than apply some sticking plasters and do the minimum required to allow the government to stagger through to the next fiscal event.’

    And: ‘Here are four reasons for this “non-event” view of the budget. First, it was just a continuation of the sharp increase in tax and spending we saw under the last government, not a change in direction at all. Second, it kicked the big decisions on public service spending down the road. Third, there was no serious reform of any kind within it, and certainly no hint of tax reform. Fourth, the increase in investment spending apart, there was nothing there for growth, supposedly the central focus of this government.’

    Adding: ‘Clearly, any decisions on tax reform have been deferred to the next budget. Or perhaps, God help us, there simply is no appetite for reform. We still don’t know.’

    ‘Raising employer national insurance contributions takes the tax system in the wrong direction, increasing the wedge between the taxation of income from employment and other forms of income, including that earned from self-employment.’ – a tax system which Scotland is part of!

    Johnson concludes: ‘.. it is still very early days and all this is genuinely complex. It was probably foolish to expect much more but in the cold light of day it is clear that this was a budget aimed largely at getting through the next 12 to 18 months, at buying time, not at setting an agenda for the rest of the parliament. The defining moments for this government are very much still to come.’

    In this context – created and controlled by Westminster – is it any wonder that the Scottish Government is not offering more in terms of strategic reforms? Governments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh ‘spectate’ in a state of uncertainty until the British Labour Party in government in Westminster – like the Tories before it – decides for England and for the UK. This is the consequence of a supposed ‘better together’ Union which the IFS appears intent on ignoring.

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  12. The SNP Gov to reinstate the winter fuel payment. Job done. Another massive win, win.

    The health of the mother on conception determines the health outcome of a person. Genetics aside.

    People in the UK are having less children. Scotland population increasing since Devolution 2000. Independence will be even better. Scotland more equal, fair and prosperous.

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