Fiona Bruce skewers Labour politician in Question Time clash | Politics | News

Fiona Bruce grilled a Labor politician on tonight’s Question Time about the timing of the decision to remove the two-child allowance limit. The BBC presenter pressed Scottish Labor leader Anas Sarwar on why it was now a “moral duty” after Sir Keir Starmer refused to do so a year ago.

The moment came as the demonstration in Paisley debated whether the removal of the cap announced by the Chancellor in last month’s Budget was fair to taxpayers. Bruce said: “Wait a minute, why was it a moral duty for Labor to lift the two-child benefit cap this year but not last year?”

Mr. Sarwar replied: “First of all, you can only decide when you know where the money comes from…”

Bruce interrupted: “But there’s suddenly no more money this year, so taxes are going up.”

Mr Sarwar continued: “That’s why it was important that we identify this money. But the reason it’s a moral mission is because after 15 years of the damage we’ve had from the Conservatives, people who have gone into politics to fight and eradicate poverty, I don’t think it would be acceptable for us to see child poverty figures rising.”

“That’s why we needed urgent action, and I will wholeheartedly support urgent action to lift half a million children out of poverty.”

Labor has stripped the whip of seven MPs who rebelled against a two-child benefit limit in 2024 and backed the SNP amendment calling for the limit to be removed.

However, Rachel Reeves announced last month that the cap on the tax increase budget would be removed.

The Prime Minister has faced accusations that the move was aimed at strengthening Labour’s position amid their decline in the polls.

The move to remove the two-child benefit limit from April next year would lead to a reduction in child poverty by an estimated 450,000 by 2029/30, at a cost of £3bn.