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Decades-old racism is resurfacing to UK politics, and it makes people feel very scared, Keir Starmer warned, alerting how polarizing far-right political tactics was “dividing the nation”.

Confronting Discriminatory Language and Divisive Politics

Speaking to GP and TV personality Amir Khan, the prime minister pointed to the Reform UK party of overseeing a return to discriminatory and divisive politics that seemed a thing of the past years back”.

In the interview, which aired on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, Starmer also gave a clear indication suggesting the two-child benefit cap might be scrapped in the budget in the coming weeks.

Promise to Reduce Poverty Among Children

When questioned if he would scrap this restriction, which charities have said is the biggest driver of child poverty across Britain, the Prime Minister responded: “Let me be perfectly clear I will strive to lower poverty rates for kids.”

He listed steps ministers have already introduced including no-cost school lunches, breakfast clubs, and child care support but added: “We need to do more than that, and I assure you that I am personally committed to driving down child poverty.”

When pressed on whether his remarks indicated he would lift the two-child cap, Starmer stated “I would not say we plan to reduce child poverty if I wasn’t clear that we will be taking a number of measures in order to do so”.

Clear Signals from Rachel Reeves

The Chancellor, provided an equally strong hint on Monday stating to BBC Radio 5 Live that ultimately, children must not be punished if their parents are struggling financially”.

Ministers are getting ready to scrap the restriction fully, after initially considering gradual removal for bigger households or wealthier families. An economic thinktank projects the expense would be roughly £3.5 billion in the coming years.

Political Divide and National Renewal

In the interview, Starmer explained the political divide currently in Britain existed between the government’s vision for renewal and Reform’s harmful divisiveness and other right-wing groups who were “dividing the nation”.

“Parts of the discourse we’re hearing – discriminatory talk, divisive rhetoric – which I believed we had dealt with long ago is returning to politics and it makes people feel fearful,” he said.

“We must confront to that racism, that division, and affirm with pride that to be British is to have concern for others, is to be reasonable, is to be tolerant and kindness, which we value deeply.”

Reflecting Concerns from the Health Secretary

Starmer echoed sentiments expressed by the Health Secretary, who warned earlier this month that an “ugly” racism similar to the 1970s and 1980s was now alarmingly frequent again with NHS staff were primary targets of it.

The health secretary said incidents of both verbal and physical attacks targeting individuals due to race had become so frequent making it “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“We’ve got to call time on racism in this country and we’ve got to put such harmful attitudes that’s found expression nationally where it belongs and once again create a climate across Britain that rejects racism to hold racist views,” the Health Secretary stated.

Defining Choice for Voters

The Prime Minister spoke at the Labour party conference this autumn to outline clear divisions with his political opponents, stating that voters confronted a pivotal moment.

The prime minister said he was engaged in a struggle for the nation’s identity, and argued although voters expressed valid worries regarding unauthorized immigration, existed “a moral line” which some politicians had overstepped.

The PM vowed to challenge anyone claiming that non-white individuals did not belong and that households residing in the UK for generations must be removed, stating those advocating these ideas constituted “an enemy of national renewal”.

“If you incite racist violence and hatred, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, targeting a business owner to leave the country, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he told activists.