Wes Streeting explains why Labour disagrees with Suella Braverman over scrapping two child benefit cap

23 comments

1. > He said: “I think that the answer on child poverty is all about social security. Of course, that’s part of it. I grew up on a council estate with a single mum, and often the benefit system put food in the fridge and money in the electric meter. I am a product of a welfare state that quite literally fed me and housed me and clothed me at points in my life.”

   > However, he went on: “I also know that that the answer to child poverty, ultimately, is not simply about handouts, it is about a social security safety net, that also acts as a springboard that helps people into work and with good work that makes the cost of living affordable for everyone.

   > “That means that if you aren’t doing the right thing, and earning a living and playing by the rules, that you don’t just have enough to make ends meet, but you have enough to do the things that make life worth living. And we’re some way from that from that now. “

   What the fuck is he even on about? Benefits *are* part of that social security net, yet he’s using this very right-wing framing of presenting them as ‘handouts’. Also baffling how brazen he is to admit that he personally benefitted from the more liberal benefits system under New Labour, but is quite happy to pull up that ladder behind him.

   Like what’s ‘doing the right thing’ here Wes? Somehow unbirthing your third child?

   Imagine being further to the right on this than Suella fucking Braverman, Christ…

2. Watching Labour slowly morph into the new Tory party is a little distressing.

   I fear they will have a very short honeymoon period when they take over.

3. The only chance this country has of a future is a if we scrap fptp and bring in proportional representation. Sadly neither of the big parties will ever do that.

4. Oh my fucking God how can anyone still vote for these cunts with a conscience? They’re more right wing than the Tories now

5. Streeting not be an arse challenge failed…again. 

   We’re Nicola Murray dropping opposition to policies so toxic the coalition didn’t keep them levels of just….this…from Labour. 

6. Before I read the article, I thought Braverman was calling for the cap to remain, and Streeting was calling to scrap it. Fuck me this country is in trouble.

7. We really are into Lewis Carroll territory now: not so much ‘Wonderland’ as ‘Through the Looking Glass’.

8. When suella is to the left of the labour party, I know it’s time to stop drinking because I’m clearly seeing shit.

9. If the likes of Starmer and Reeves are only half as bad as they make themselves out to be, the Labour Party itself will soon be finished as a political entity.

   Politics in the UK – as across the whole political spectrum – is in a massive state of flux. Those tutonic plates are a movin’, and are moving rapidly to either heavy right, or moderate left.

   There really is no room for Streetings bullshit. The centrist’s centrist. What an absolute anal passage this former council house dweller is. The worst of all tories – a snobby, arrogant, deeply conceited nob-head if ever there was one…Grrrr!

10. A lot of very left wing comments here (as usual). I’m a labour voter and always have been. What I’d like to see is the 2 child cap remaining, and the money saved on paying child benefits for a 3rd, 4th, 5th… child used to fund nursery places so mothers can work, if only part time. It’s good for their mental health. It’s good for the child’s development and health. 

    I have two kids. It does not cost much more to have two children than one. Three, I expect is even less of a step.  What does cost a lot is nursery fees. Anything Labour can do to make those affordable for working and  non-working parents, on the condition that they find work, gets my vote. 

11. Your children have to suffer so that Labour sounds good to the right wing press.

    After all – it is not like they are as important as the career of Labour politicians.

12. Whatever the worst insult we’re allowed to use in this sub without getting banned, that’s what Streeting is.

13. It’s not surprising if you’re old enough to remember old Labour, they were always tough on benefit claimants and especially tough on unemployed, a job is a job, didn’t matter if you were a town clerk and had to work as a cleaner (both respectful jobs btw), then so be it, ” he who shall not work neither will he eat”is a communist saying.

14. No the answer to child poverty is clearly to let the kids go hungry. That’ll learn ’em not to be born in the first place

15. Handouts? Tax credit is social security and he has no business in any future government if her doesn’t understand the basics of governing.

16. [Evergreen tweet](https://twitter.com/jrc1921/status/1590353772911685632) about Wes Streeting.

17. Should be noted about wes streeting is that his father never took benefits when he was very much eligible and was ‘proud’ of it

18. Never liked wes much but thought he was a necessary evil and all that, head down keep quiet and hope for the best once he’s in. Fairly obvious from this that he’s a wolf in sheeps clothing

19. So, anyone else certain Wes Streeting stalks the nightime backstreets of London, a bottle of meths in his pocket, looking for sleeping homeless people to set on fire?

20. It’s such a word salad to basically try and put a nice spin on what is fundamentally a cruel idea that doesn’t work. Now, at work I’m used to this from middle managers failing their way through their jobs, but this man is going to be the Health Secretary.

    God, this Labour Government is going to fail hard, isn’t it?

21. The one thing I agree with Wes Streeting with, even though he sucks off Big pharma.

22. Im all for targeting poor people however, they’re the only ones who have kids and our society is in desperate need of new kids.

    It isn’t like benefits were that generous or everyone would start having 3/4/5 kids

    We have to value people who have kids as a society if we wish to continue to exist

    If that means people with kids are gifted a higher place via a few quid more a month then that’s a price we should all be happy to pay

23. God almighty he needs to go.

    He is litterally a Tory in a red tie.

    Wants to sell of the NHS.. And now this? Wanker.