- Former prime minister Gordon Brown has issued a strong warning that Reform UK's plan to reinstate the two-child benefit cap would plunge Britain back into poverty levels reminiscent of past Conservative governments.
- Reform UK's new treasury spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, recently reversed the party's previous commitment to abolish the two-child benefit cap, now advocating for its retention.
- The two-child benefit cap, originally introduced by George Osborne, restricts benefit claims for third or subsequent children born after April 2017, a policy Brown argues would negatively impact over 6,000 children in the Gorton and Denton constituency alone.
- Brown's warning comes ahead of a critical by-election in Gorton and Denton, where Labour, Reform UK, and the Greens are vying for votes, with Labour's Rachel Reeves having previously pledged to scrap the cap.
- Adding to the controversy, Reform UK's by-election candidate, Matt Goodwin, had previously proposed a 'negative child benefit tax' on individuals without children, a suggestion that drew comparisons to dystopian literature.
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