Four-nation summit needed now to tackle child poverty, says SNP

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has written to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to call for a four-nation summit on tackling child poverty this summer.

Mr Flynn welcomed news the UK Government has set up a ministerial taskforce to kick-start its child poverty strategy, and said it should not delay action on the issue.

Two-child benefit cap

He confirmed the SNP will press ahead with its amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped immediately, with a vote on it expected to take place next week.

In his letter, Mr Flynn said Westminster cuts and Brexit had seen the UK become “one of the poorest and most unequal countries among our European neighbours”.

He added: “That will only change with concerted action and substantial investment from the UK Government, which has been severely lacking.

“The taskforce must not be used as an excuse to delay action.

“Scrapping the cap is the bare minimum required if your Government wants to scratch the surface on tackling child poverty, and every day you delay, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour Government inaction.

“It is important for the governments across the isles to work together on this issue, to move quickly and to learn from best practice. I am therefore calling for a four-nations summit on eradicating child poverty this summer.

“I also think it’s vital that parties across Parliament get the opportunity to feed into the taskforce.”

The SNP says a package of measures is needed to tackle child poverty, including matching the Scottish Government’s Scottish child payment by raising universal credit by £26.70 per child, per week across the UK.

Economic circumstances

Earlier this week, a UK Government minister said that abolishing the two-child benefit cap is not currently possible because of the economic circumstances.

Commons Leader Lucy Powell pointed to Labour’s proposals for a ministerial taskforce, aimed at establishing a child poverty strategy, when challenged over the cap.

During business questions on Thursday, Labour backbencher Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) said: “Forty-seven per cent of children in my Liverpool Riverside constituency are living in poverty.

“That’s nearly one in two children and I’m sure the Leader of the House will agree with me that that is unacceptable.

“And while I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday for the taskforce, it did not mention the removal of a two child cap.”

Ms Powell said she understands this is “an issue very close to her heart”.

She added: “As an incoming Labour Government, we are absolutely committed to tackling child poverty and all the root causes of child poverty, which is why the Prime Minister announced the Government taskforce looking at these matters yesterday.

“We were clear in our manifesto that the economic circumstances do not currently allow for us to abolish the cap.

“Economic stability is the single biggest thing we can do to ensure that children don’t fall into poverty, because when the economy crashes, it’s the poorest in society who pay the heaviest price.”