Starmer Faces Rebellion Over Two-Child Benefit Cap

Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced his first rebellion as seven Labour MPs were suspended after voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, a measure critics argue drives child poverty. The Labour Party officially opposed an SNP amendment to abolish the cap, which restricts welfare payments to the first two children in a family. Despite the rebellion, Starmer defended his stance by highlighting other anti-poverty initiatives and criticizing SNP's poverty record. The Resolution Foundation states that removing the cap could lift 490,000 children out of poverty and cost up to £3.6 billion annually. Rebellious MPs like Zarah Sultana argued it was a moral imperative to end the cap, which impacts 1.6 million children. The issue has prompted broader calls for benefits reform to combat child poverty and associated mental health issues.