The prime minister’s election campaign pledge to bring in votes for 16-year-olds was absent from the King’s Speech delivered today.
Sir Keir Starmer said 16 and 17-year-olds should be able to cast a ballot, arguing that if someone could work, pay tax and serve in the armed forces, they deserved the right to vote.
Asked on 25 May whether he wanted to bring in the change, Sir Keir said: “Yes, I want to see both 16 and 17-year-olds. If you can work, if you can pay tax, if you can serve in your armed forces, then you ought to be able to vote.”
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The Conservatives accused him at the time of trying to “rig elections” in Labour’s favour with the plans, which were mooted alongside proposals to allow EU nationals who have lived in the UK long-term the right to vote – although this was later dropped.
A government source told Sky political editor Beth Rigby that just because the plan was not involved in this year’s King Speech did not mean it would not appear at a future date.
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They said for the first King’s Speech “we have prioritised the things that matter most”, including economic growth and the push for green energy.
Also absent from the King’s Speech was any mention of Labour’s ambition to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which was introduced by the Conservatives in 2017 and prevents parents from claiming Universal Credit or child tax credits for a third child, except in very limited circumstances.
Sir Keir is facing renewed pressure to scrap the cap after the SNP announced plans to push for a vote on the issue in the upcoming King’s Speech.
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SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has said the policy is forcing thousands of children into poverty as he appealed to Labour MPs in Scotland to back his planned amendment.
According to the Resolution Foundation, because of the cap families cannot claim about £3,200 a year per extra child.
In a letter to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Mr Flynn said the “Tory two-child cap became the Labour Party two-child cap” once Sir Keir entered Downing Street, and it was a “political choice” for the new prime minister not to scrap it.
He said: “The two-child cap is pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty – and scrapping it is the bare minimum the Labour Party government must do if it is serious about tackling poverty.
“I urge Keir Starmer to include it in his programme for government this week but, if he fails, the SNP will lay an amendment to abolish it immediately. It is shameful and it must go now.”
Shortly after the King’s Speech the prime minister responded to concerns about the levels of child poverty by appointing his education secretary and work and pensions secretary as joint leads of a new ministerial taskforce to start on the government’s child poverty strategy.
Sir Keir has previously said the cap should be scrapped, but U-turned last year, blaming the state of the public finances.
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Last week Health Secretary West Streeting urged the public to “bear with” the new government on the issue, as they “clean up the terrible mess the Conservatives have left”.
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The SNP was reduced to just nine MPs after a hammering at the general election, which gave Labour a landslide victory, so the amendment is not expected to pass if it is selected by the Commons speaker.
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However, many Labour MPs are also opposed to the two-child limit and some have signalled they could rebel against the government on the issue – in what could mark the first internal battle of Sir Keir’s premiership.
One Labour MP told Rigby that in light of economic growth figures being revised up, “the argument now is that scrapping the child limit is affordable within fiscal rules”.
“The point MPs are making across PLP [parliamentary Labour Party] is get on with implementation.”
The prime minister said: “For too long children have been left behind, and no decisive action has been taken to address the root causes of poverty. This is completely unacceptable – no child should be left hungry, cold or have their future held back.
“That’s why we’re prioritising work an ambitious child poverty strategy and my ministers will leave no stone unturned to give every child the very best start at life.”
