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Decades-old racial prejudice is resurfacing to UK the political arena, and it leaves citizens very scared, the Prime Minister warned, alerting that divisive hard-right politics are “tearing our country apart”.

Tackling Racist Language and Divisive Strategies

In conversation to GP and TV personality Amir Khan, Starmer pointed to the Reform UK party for enabling a return to racist and divisive political discourse which many believed was resolved long ago”.

During the discussion, broadcast on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, the PM provided a clear indication suggesting the two-child benefit cap could be removed during the upcoming fiscal announcement later this month.

Promise to Reduce Poverty Among Children

When questioned if he planned to eliminate the limit, as noted by advocacy groups is the biggest driver of child poverty in the UK, Starmer said: “I want to state unequivocally I will strive to reduce child poverty.”

He outlined measures ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, morning meal programs, and child care support but added: “We need to do more than that, and I can look you in the eye that I will personally focus on reducing childhood poverty.”

When pressed about if his comments meant he intended to remove the two-child limit, Starmer said “I would not say we aim to lower child poverty unless I was certain that we will implement various actions in order to do so”.

Strong Signals from Rachel Reeves

The Chancellor, gave a similarly clear signal earlier this week when she told BBC Radio 5 Live how “in the end, no child should suffer due to their family’s financial situation”.

Government officials are understood to be preparing to lift the limit entirely, after initially considering phasing it out for bigger households or wealthier families. An economic thinktank has estimated this would cost roughly £3.5 billion by 2029-30.

Ideological Split and Country’s Revival

In the interview, the Prime Minister said the ideological split in the UK now was between the government’s vision for renewal versus “the toxic division of Reform” and other right-wing groups who were “tearing our country apart”.

“Parts of the discourse currently circulating – racist rhetoric, polarizing language – that many assumed had been addressed long ago is returning to politics and it makes people feel deeply afraid,” he stated.

“It is essential to oppose to that racism, that division, and declare confidently that British identity means showing empathy, requires rationality, entails tolerance and kindness, and this is our pride.”

Echoing Warnings from the Health Secretary

Starmer mirrored language expressed by Wes Streeting, who cautioned earlier this month that a disturbing form of discrimination reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s had become worryingly commonplace once more with NHS staff were bearing the brunt of this trend.

The health secretary said occurrences of verbal and physical abuse based on people’s skin colour had become so frequent that it was now “tolerated to hold racist views”.

“It is time to put a stop on racism in this country and we need to place such harmful attitudes that’s found expression nationally where it belongs and once again create an environment across Britain where racism is unacceptable to be racist,” Streeting said.

Defining Choice for the Public

Starmer used his speech during a major political gathering in September to draw clear divisions with his political opponents, stating that the public confronted a “defining choice”.

He said he was involved in a struggle for the nation’s identity, noting that while voters expressed valid worries about illegal migration, existed an ethical boundary which some politicians had crossed.

Starmer vowed to confront those claiming that people who were not white did not belong and that households who had lived in the UK for generations should be deported, saying those advocating these ideas were “against national unity”.

“If you incite racial attacks and hatred, that goes beyond concern: it is illegal. This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, but if they are displayed with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he told supporters.