The Labour heavyweight appearance at Gordon Brown’s child poverty speech didn’t go unnoticed as he called on the government to scrap the two-child benefit limit
Gordon Brown has long campaigned on the issue of child poverty.
His work in the last Labour government to turn the tide on the issue is often held up by ministers in Keir Starmer’s government as the difference a Labour government can make. But with the number of kids in poverty standing at around 4.5million – a 60-year-high – it is no surprise the former Labour PM feels compelled to speak.
In a passionate speech today – marking the 60th anniversary of the Child Poverty Action Group – he described the issue as a “scar on the soul of our nation”. Just three weeks out from the Budget, he called for the “total abolition” of the two-child benefit limit – an issue that is still a live discussion in government.
While the former PM was the keynote speaker, another Labour heavyweight, Angela Rayner, was sitting in the audience listening intently. Her appearance certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
Mr Brown paid tribute to her. The audience applauded her. And then Alison McGovern, the Homelessness minister, paid tribute to her “hard graft” in government.
Since her abrupt departure from the heart of Keir Starmer’s government over unpaid tax on a seaside home, Ms Rayner has made few public appearances. She was notably absent from Labour’s annual conference – but still managed to win a standing ovation from the party’s faithful, as Wes Streeting declared “we need her back”.
It was over a month after resigning before she made her first public comments. Giving a personal statement in the Commons, she made clear she will continue to champion and defend the issues close to her in Government.
They include the Renters’ Rights Act, which received Royal Assent last week, and a massive upgrade to workers’ rights, under the Employment Rights Bill. She defended the latter in the Commons just this week.
While she did not chair the child poverty task force it is understood the former Deputy PM had a keen interest in its progress in government. That appeared to be on display as she listened to Mr Brown, someone she regards as a mentor and has been close to politically for over a decade.
An ally of the former Deputy PM told The Mirror: “This is an issue close to Angela’s heart. She hugely respects Gordon and she’s listening.”
In 2020 Ms Rayner branded the two-child benefit limit as “inhumane”. As Deputy PM she stood by the government’s carefully crafted line on the Tory-era policy despite demands for it to be scrapped. But if the government falls short on Mr Brown’s ambitions for the child poverty taskforce, it would not be a surprise if Ms Rayner feels compelled to speak up.