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Historical racial prejudice is returning within British politics, and it creates fearful, Keir Starmer warned, alerting how polarizing hard-right politics was “splitting the UK”.

Addressing Racist Rhetoric and Harmful Strategies

Speaking to doctor and media figure Amir Khan, Starmer accused the Reform UK party for enabling the revival to racist and divisive political discourse which many believed was resolved decades ago”.

During the discussion, which aired on ITV’s Lorraine show on Tuesday, the PM also gave his strongest signal suggesting the two-child benefit cap would be lifted during the upcoming fiscal announcement in the coming weeks.

Promise to Combat Child Poverty

When questioned if he planned to eliminate this restriction, which charities have said is the biggest driver of poverty for children in the UK, Starmer said: “I can tell you in no uncertain terms I am determined to lower poverty rates for kids.”

He outlined steps the government has already launched such as free school meals, breakfast clubs, and childcare but added: “We must go beyond these efforts, and I pledge and tell you I will personally focus on reducing childhood poverty.”

When pressed on whether his comments meant he would lift the two-child cap, Starmer said “It would be misleading to claim we aim to lower child poverty without being sure that we will be taking several steps for that purpose”.

Clear Signals from the Chancellor

Rachel Reeves, gave a similarly clear signal earlier this week when she told a national radio station that “in the end, no child should suffer if their parents are struggling financially”.

Government officials are understood to be preparing to remove the cap completely, having originally looked at gradual removal either for very large families or richer ones. The Resolution Foundation projects the expense would be roughly £3.5 billion in the coming years.

Political Divide and Country’s Revival

During the discussion, Starmer said the political divide in the UK now was between the government’s vision for renewal versus Reform’s harmful divisiveness and others on the right who were “dividing the nation”.

“Parts of the discourse we’re hearing – racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric – that many assumed had been addressed long ago has reemerged in political debate and it makes people feel deeply afraid,” he stated.

“It is essential to oppose such discrimination, that divisiveness, and we have to proudly say that British identity means showing empathy, is to be reasonable, is to be tolerant and compassionate, which we value deeply.”

Reflecting Concerns from the Health Secretary

Starmer echoed language expressed by Wes Streeting, who cautioned earlier this month that an “ugly” racism similar to the 1970s and 1980s was now worryingly commonplace once more and that healthcare workers were primary targets of this trend.

Streeting noted occurrences of both verbal and physical attacks based on people’s skin colour had become so frequent that it was now “acceptable to express racism”.

“It is time to put a stop on racism across the UK and we need to place such harmful attitudes that has emerged nationally back in its box and once again create a climate in this country where racism is unacceptable to be racist,” Streeting stated.

Defining Choice for the Public

Starmer spoke at the Labour party conference this autumn to draw political battle lines between himself and Farage, saying that voters confronted a crucial decision.

The prime minister said he was involved in a “fight for the soul of our country”, noting that while voters had “reasonable” concerns regarding unauthorized immigration, there was an ethical boundary that Farage and others had overstepped.

The PM pledged to “fight” anyone who argued that non-white individuals could not be English or British and that households who had lived in Britain for years must be removed, saying those advocating these ideas constituted “against national unity”.

“If you incite racist violence and hostility, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that is not patriotism; that is pure discrimination,” he told activists.