Phillipson signals Government will ‘do the right thing’ and lift benefit cap

Bridget Phillipson has said she is “confident” the Government will “do the right thing” over the two-child benefit cap, in the clearest sign yet that ministers could scrap the policy.

The Education Secretary, who is vying to become Labour’s next deputy leader, said there is an “urgency” to lifting the limit and she will be “in Cabinet arguing” for change.

The cap, introduced under the Conservatives in 2017, restricts universal or child tax credit to the first two children in most households.

Speaking with broadcasters on Sunday morning, Ms Phillipson said Labour would never have brought in the policy and she is “clear what needs to happen” next.

She told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “There’s an urgency to this. With every year that passes more children are moving to poverty because of the two-child limit.

“It was a Tory policy. We would not have introduced it. I’m clear what needs to happen. I’ll be in Cabinet arguing for that, and that’s why I’ve made tackling child poverty my number one priority during this campaign.”

Asked if she is prepared to quit her ministerial role if the Government does not abolish the limit, the Education Secretary told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I am confident that we as a Government will do the right thing by children growing up in poverty in our country.

“We’ve already started that process, there’s more to do, I will make that happen.”

Ms Phillipson is seeking to head off a challenge from deputy leadership rival Lucy Powell, who was sacked as Commons leader in a reshuffle last month and has since criticised what she describes as errors on welfare.

Freed from Cabinet collective responsibility, Ms Powell has urged the Government to be clearer about wanting to scrap the two-child cap – a significant issue for many Labour backbenchers.