Scrapping two child benefit cap could be debated at Conference after appeal

A motion to scrap the two child benefit cap will be put before delegates at the Labour Party Conference after efforts to block it failed.

The motion would fund the abolition of the limit with a tax on online gambling. It’s a policy backed by deputy leadership hopeful Lucy Powell, as well as Mainstream, a campaign group formed by Compass and Open Labour and associated with Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

More broadly, Powell’s rival, Bridget Phillipson, has said that scrapping the cap was “on the table” in the fight against child poverty, calling the limit “spiteful” – in a sign that the Government is also open to abolishing it.

The motion, submitted by Compass, Open Labour, and Momentum reads: “Conference calls on the Government to find the resources needed to abolish the two-child limit by:

“Allocating £3 billion from a levy on the undertaxed online gaming and offshore betting industry.

“Allocating a further £3 billion from restoring the 8% levy on the profits of commercial banks or ceasing to pay interest on some of their funds held at the Bank of England.”

It had been rejected by the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) on Friday, on the grounds that it did not meet the criteria “in that it covers more than one subject” and “in that it does not relate to a new issue not substantially covered in the NPF report”.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook.

However, following an appeals process, it was ruled back in on Monday.

Mainstream welcomed the move. The group’s interim council said in a statement: “Ending the two-child limit is the single biggest action that Labour could take to reduce child poverty. Today’s news offers hope for the 4.5 million children living in poverty across the UK.

“This is also a win for the mainstream of the Labour Party. 84% of Labour members back the ending of the two-child limit. The CAC’s initial decision to block this motion threatened to entrench the hostility to debate and discussion that is rooting itself in our party – and undermining Labour’s offer to the country.”

They urged delegates to Conference to support the motion in the priorities ballot on Sunday, which will determine whether it is actually debated at Conference, having now passed the CAC’s filter.

Momentum Co-Chair, Alex Charilaou said: ‘The two child cap is a moral disgrace. It runs completely against Labour’s core values and is opposed by virtually all Party members.

“We will be calling for Conference delegates from all wings of the Party to do the right thing and vote to debate scrapping the cap in the Priorities Ballot.’

Motions on Palestine, however, failed to win their appeals.

READ MORE: Labour Party Conference 2025: Full LabourList events programme, revealed

More than 30 contemporary motions on Palestine were submitted to the conference, according to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

But they were rejected by the CAC on Friday, with “dozens” failing their appeals on Monday, the group said.

Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, said:  “It is beyond belief that the Labour Party is silencing debate on Israel’s genocide in Gaza. This is one of the most shocking moral catastrophes of our age and it is no surprise our supporters want us to be taking a much firmer position.

“I call on Keir Starmer to finally acknowledge the genocide for what it is – a genocide – and to take the action that requires of him: starting with an end to all arms sales, an end to military cooperation, and comprehensive sanctions to pressure Israel to ends its violations of international law.”

Sasha Das Gupta, Momentum Co-Chair, said: “Blocking motions challenging our Government’s ongoing complicity in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians as well as other key issues on spurious procedural grounds, is a typically anti-democratic move by the Labour right to prevent any scrutiny of its increasingly reactionary political agenda.”

A Labour Spokesperson said “all party procedures have been followed”.

“A wide range of topics will be debated and discussed at annual conference.

“The democratically elected Conference Arrangements Committee rules on whether motions to conference are in order, in line with Labour Party rules.”

Share your thoughts. Contribute on this story or tell your own by writing to our Editor. The best letters every week will be published on the site. Find out how to get your letter published.

• SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
• SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
• DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
• PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
• ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].