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Historical racism is returning within British the political arena, and it makes people feel deeply uneasy, the Prime Minister warned, cautioning that divisive far-right political tactics are “dividing the nation”.

Tackling Racist Language and Divisive Strategies

Speaking to doctor and media figure Amir Khan, the prime minister accused the Reform UK party for enabling a return to discriminatory and divisive political discourse which many believed was resolved years back”.

In the interview, which aired on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, Starmer provided his strongest signal that the two-child benefit cap might be scrapped in the budget in the coming weeks.

Promise to Combat Child Poverty

When questioned whether he planned to eliminate the limit, which charities have said is a major cause of poverty for children across Britain, Starmer responded: “I want to state unequivocally I am committed to reduce child poverty.”

He outlined steps ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, morning meal programs, and child care support but added: “Further action is necessary, and I can look you in the eye and tell you I am dedicated to driving down childhood poverty.”

Pressed about if his comments meant he would lift the two-child limit, Starmer said “I would not say we plan to reduce child poverty if I wasn’t clear that we will implement several steps in order to do so”.

Strong Signals from Rachel Reeves

The Chancellor, provided a similarly clear signal on Monday when she told BBC Radio 5 Live how ultimately, children must not be punished due to their family’s financial situation”.

Government officials are understood to be preparing to remove the cap completely, having originally looked at gradual removal either for very large families or wealthier families. An economic thinktank has estimated this would cost about £3.5bn by 2029-30.

Ideological Split and National Renewal

During the discussion, Starmer said the political divide in the UK now existed between the government’s vision for renewal and Reform’s harmful divisiveness and other right-wing groups that are “tearing our country apart”.

“Certain language being used – discriminatory talk, polarizing language – that frankly I thought had been addressed in the past is coming back into politics and it makes people feel very scared,” he said.

“We must confront to that racism, that divisiveness, and declare confidently that to be British means showing empathy, is to be reasonable, entails tolerance and kindness, and we’re proud of that.”

Echoing Concerns from the Health Secretary

Starmer echoed language expressed by the Health Secretary, who cautioned recently how an “ugly” racism reminiscent of past decades was now worryingly commonplace again with healthcare workers were bearing the brunt of it.

Streeting said incidents of verbal and physical abuse targeting individuals due to race now happened so often making it “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“It is time to put a stop to discrimination across the UK and we’ve got to put such harmful attitudes that’s found expression in our country where it belongs and reestablish an environment across Britain where racism is unacceptable to be racist,” the Health Secretary stated.

Defining Choice for the Public

Starmer used his speech at the Labour party conference in September to outline clear divisions with his political opponents, saying that the public faced a crucial decision.

The prime minister explained he was involved in a “fight for the soul of our country”, noting that while the public expressed valid worries regarding unauthorized immigration, there was an ethical boundary that Farage and others had overstepped.

The PM vowed to “fight” anyone who argued that non-white individuals were not truly British and that households residing in Britain for years should be deported, saying people promoting such views constituted “against national unity”.

“If you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement values national symbols, but if they are displayed with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he informed activists.