SIR Keir Starmer has “no mandate” for scrapping the two-child benefit cap, Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride warned yesterday.
The top Tory blasted the PM for preparing to splurge billions on ditching another of his election pledges in sop to Labour lefties.
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In the build up to July’s ballot, Sir Keir declared he wouldn’t abandon the cap, and didn’t include any policy around abolition in his party manifesto.
Furious Mr Stride said: “He promised he wouldn’t do it, but now it looks as though he’s going to break that promise and spend billions more.
“Reversing the cap isn’t just irresponsible, it’s unfair.
“Labour’s desperate U-turns show they can’t be trusted with your money.”
It came as Education Secretary Bridget Philipson yesterday said scrapping the cap, which would cost £3.6bn a year, is an option “on the table” for the Treasury.
Asked whether ministers are planning to abolish the cap, she told Times Radio: “It’s on the table.
“No measures are off the table.”
The Education Secretary added: “We’ve always been clear about that and of course social security is an important element of how we tackle child poverty.
“It’s not the only area. Childcare plays an important role, skills, how we ensure that more people are able to get back into work.
“But of course we can’t ignore the impact of social security changes, social security changes that were introduced by the Conservatives that a Labour government would not have introduced in the first place.”
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