UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warns that rising racist rhetoric is fueling division and vows to fight it, and signals the end of the two-child benefit cap.
As reported by The Guardian, Sir Keir Starmer said decades-old racism is returning in British politics, warning it “frightens people” and hard-right forces are “tearing the country apart.”
What did Keir Starmer say about racism and child poverty?
Sir Keir Starmer accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of reviving racist and divisive politics
“that frankly I thought we had dealt with decades ago.”
During his interview, the Prime Minister indicated the government may lift the two-child benefit cap in the upcoming budget.
When questioned about scrapping the limit, which charities call the main cause of child poverty, Mr Starmer said he is
“determined to drive child poverty down.”
The Prime Minister highlighted measures already in place, including free school meals, breakfast clubs, and childcare support.
He said,
“We need to do more than that, and I can look you in the eye and tell you I am personally committed to driving down child poverty.”
Pressed on whether his remarks signaled the end of the two-child cap, the Prime Minister said he
“wouldn’t be telling you we are going to drive down child poverty if I wasn’t clear that we will be taking a number of measures in order to do so.”
During the interview, Mr Starmer said the UK’s political divide was between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” and the “toxic division” promoted by Reform and other right-wing parties.
He stated,
“Some of the rhetoric we’re hearing – racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric – that frankly I thought we had dealt with decades ago is returning to politics and it makes people feel very scared.”
The prime minister said,
“We have to stand up to that racism, that division, and we have to proudly say that to be British is to have concern for others, is to be reasonable, is to be tolerant and compassionate, and we’re proud of that.”
Mr Starmer reiterated warnings from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who said racism similar to that of the 1970s and 1980s has resurfaced, affecting NHS staff the most.
During the Labour Party conference, the Prime Minister highlighted political battle lines with Mr Farage, saying voters faced a
“defining choice.”
The Prime Minister described his efforts as a
“fight for the soul of our country,” adding that voters’ concerns about illegal migration were valid, but Mr Farage and others had crossed “a moral line.”
The Labour leader pledged to “fight” those opposing non-white people being English or British, or arguing that long-established families should be deported, calling them “an enemy of national renewal.”
He added,
“If you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern: it’s criminal. This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride; that’s racism.”
What did Wes Streeting say about racism in the UK?
Wes Streeting said verbal and physical abuse based on skin colour has become so common that it is now “socially acceptable to be racist.”
He stated,
“We’ve got to call time on racism in this country and we’ve got to put that ugly racist sentiment that’s found expression in our country back in its box and once again create a climate in this country where it is not socially acceptable to be racist.”
Mr Streeting said,
“Doctors making racist comments about Jewish people at any time, let alone in the wake of a despicable and deadly attack on our nation’s Jewish community, is sickening and demands action.”
He added,
“It is clear that the current medical regulatory system is completely failing to protect patients and NHS staff, so I am looking at how we can overhaul the current regime, which has been found completely wanting.”
What did Claudia Mendoza say about antisemitism in the NHS?
Claudia Mendoza, CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), stated,
“Antisemitism in the NHS has been out of control. We have seen doctors describe hospitals as cesspits of “Jewish supremacy” and praise Hamas as “legends”, with the regulators and tribunals not taking substantive action.
It is vital that Jewish patients are able to trust that their healthcare providers will treat them without prejudice. This continued lack of action has severely undermined trust.”
He added,
“The government’s announcements today, including the introduction of mandatory antisemitism training and the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism encouraged across the health service, are a welcome first step but must be the first of many. Most importantly, we must see swift action as a result of Lord Mann’s urgent review into how healthcare regulators tackle antisemitism.”
Which party is set to win the most seats in the next UK election?
A recent YouGov survey shows that Reform UK is projected to win 311 seats, just 15 short of a parliamentary majority, making them the largest party.
Labour is expected to win 144 seats, the Conservatives 45, the Liberal Democrats 78, the SNP 37, the Greens 7, and Plaid Cymru 6.