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Long-standing racial prejudice is resurfacing within British the political arena, which leaves citizens very scared, Keir Starmer has stated, alerting how divisive far-right political tactics are “splitting the UK”.

Tackling Racist Rhetoric and Divisive Strategies

Speaking to GP and TV personality Amir Khan, the prime minister pointed to the Reform UK party of overseeing a return of discriminatory and divisive politics that seemed a thing of the past decades ago”.

In the interview, which aired on ITV’s Lorraine show on Tuesday, the PM also gave a clear indication suggesting the two-child benefit cap might be scrapped in the budget later this month.

Commitment to Combat Poverty Among Children

Asked whether he planned to eliminate the limit, as noted by advocacy groups is the biggest driver of poverty for children in the UK, the Prime Minister said: “Let me be perfectly clear I am determined to drive child poverty down.”

He outlined measures the government has already launched such as no-cost school lunches, morning meal programs, and childcare but added: “Further action is necessary, and I assure you and tell you I will personally focus on reducing childhood poverty.”

Pressed on whether his remarks indicated he would lift the two-child limit, he stated he “wouldn’t be telling you we aim to lower poverty among children without being sure that measures will be introduced a number of measures for that purpose”.

Clear Indications from Rachel Reeves

Rachel Reeves, provided an equally strong hint earlier this week when she told BBC Radio 5 Live how ultimately, children must not be punished due to their family’s financial situation”.

Ministers are understood to be preparing to remove the cap completely, after initially considering ways to taper it either for very large families or richer ones. An economic thinktank has estimated the expense would be about £3.5bn by the end of the decade.

Ideological Split and National Renewal

In the interview, the Prime Minister explained the ideological split in the UK now existed between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” versus “the toxic division of Reform” and other right-wing groups that are “splitting the UK”.

“Parts of the discourse currently circulating – racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric – that many assumed was resolved in the past is coming back into politics and it makes people feel fearful,” he said.

“We have to stand up such discrimination, that division, and we have to proudly say that British identity is to have concern for others, is to be reasonable, is to be tolerant and compassionate, and we’re proud of that.”

Echoing Warnings from the Health Secretary

Starmer mirrored language expressed by the Health Secretary, who cautioned earlier this month that an “ugly” racism reminiscent of past decades was now alarmingly frequent again with healthcare workers were bearing the brunt of this trend.

The health secretary said occurrences of verbal and physical abuse based on people’s skin colour now happened so often making it “tolerated to hold racist views”.

“We must end on racism in this country and we’ve got to put that ugly racist sentiment that has emerged in our country back in its box and reestablish a climate across Britain where it is not socially acceptable to hold racist views,” Streeting said.

Defining Choice for the Public

Starmer spoke at the Labour party conference this autumn to outline clear divisions between himself and Farage, stating that the public confronted a “defining choice”.

He said he was involved in a struggle for the nation’s identity, and argued that while voters expressed valid worries about illegal migration, there was “a moral line” which some politicians had overstepped.

Starmer pledged to confront anyone who argued that non-white individuals could not be English or British and that families residing in the UK for generations should be deported, stating those advocating these ideas constituted “an enemy of national renewal”.

“Encouraging racial attacks and hostility, that is not expressing concern: it’s criminal. This party – this great party – values national symbols, but if they are displayed with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to leave the country, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he told supporters.