Starmer grilled by delegates on two-child limit and national care service

Keir Starmer took a series of questions from delegates after his address to TUC Congress in Brighton.

A delegate from EIS (Education Institute Scotland) asked the Prime Minister about the two-child benefit cap, which they described as “negatively impacting the lives of 1.6m children”.

The delegate continued, saying that as “controversially” Labour has not scrapped the cap, “what alternative urgent measures are you therefore taking” to lower child poverty.

Starmer answered saying that “obviously we’ve had to take difficult decisions”.

“It is our responsibility to bring [child poverty] down”, the Prime Minister continued, arguing that it is not an issue that can be solved through a single action.

“Just as the last Labour government brought child poverty right down so will we”, he said.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer tells TUC Congress pay deals will be shaped by tough decisions in address

Starmer was also asked to reassert his commitment to creating a national care service.

He did this, saying that it was “one of the absolute objectives of this government”, and asserting that he was looking forward to working on it with Christina McAnea and others.

The Prime Minister notably failed to address a question on ending term-time only contracts for school support staff.

He was also questioned about making assault of shop workers a specific offence, and about tackling sexual harassment in the defence industry and more broadly.