Labour MP tells Keir Starmer he would swim through vomit to scrap two-child benefit cap

Labour MP John McDonnell urged Sir Keir Starmer to scrap the two-child benefit cap and “lift 300,000 children out of poverty”.

Addressing the Commons on Wednesday (17 July), the Hayes and Harlington MP said: “I was in this House when the Tories introduced it, it was introduced as part of the stigmatising of all those on benefits.

“I did a speech, I actually think I said I’d swim through vomit to vote against this piece of legislation, and some of the nauseous speeches from the Tories at the time almost meant I would have to.

“It was (an) appalling form of attack on the poorest within our communities. I think we just need to lift that stigma, lift that impact, but we need to do it quickly.