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      Labour considering scrapping two-child benefit cap

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe new Labour government will consider scrapping the two-child benefit cap as Sir Keir Starmer comes under growing pressure to ditch the “cruel” policy. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the limit would be looked at “as one of a number of ways” to lift children out of poverty.Her comments come as Labour could face its first backbench revolt over the cap, which affects 1.6 million children.Charities, opposition parties and some of his own MPs have all urged the new PM to abolish the cap, brought in as an austerity measure under the Conservative coalition government.Left-wing Labour MPs are expected to hit out at the policy in a Commons debate on Monday, while SNP has tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech calling for it to be axed. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson suggested the two-child benefit cap may be scrapped More

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      Watch: Keir Starmer speaks after Joe Biden exits 2024 presidential race

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorWatch as Sir Keir Starmer delivered remarks at Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire on Monday, 22 July, after Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.In a statement published on Sunday, the current US president said that “while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down.”Mr Biden has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to replace him at the top of the party ticket.Shortly after Mr Biden’s announcement, the prime minister posted a response on X/Twitter.”I respect President Biden’s decision and I look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency,” Sir Keir said.”I know that, as he has done throughout his remarkable career, he will have made his decision based on what he believes is best for the American people.” More

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      One in six Conservative voters likely to die before next election, analysis shows

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorA sixth of Tory voters are likely to die before the next general election, according to a new analysis. Polling company Focaldata found that the age at which the Conservatives become the most popular party is 64, compared to 42 in 2019. In the last five years, one in every ten voters who backed the Conservatives under Boris Johnson’s leadership have died – around 1.3 million people. Analysis by The Times using Office for National Statistics population estimates suggests this trend will accelerate during the current parliament.The data suggests 1.2 million Tory supporters will die by 2029, which is 17 per cent of the party’s vote share.In comparison, only 500,000 Labour voters – or 5.3% – are expected to die in the same period. Labour could also see nearly 800,000 more votes as younger people, who are more likely to back the party, become eligible to vote.The net effect is the Tories losing a million votes while Labour gains 300,000.Data suggests 1.2 million Tory supporters will die by 2029, which is 17 per cent of the party’s vote share (House of Commons/UK Parliament) More

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      Starmer insists he is ready to work with Kamala Harris or Trump after Biden shock

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer has said the US is a reliable and trusted ally after weeks of turmoil surrounding the presidential election.The prime minister vowed to work with whoever wins the US Presidential election the morning after Joe Biden dramatically pulled out of the race.With senior Democrats rallying behind vice president Kamala Harris, the PM stressed the importance of the “special relationship” between Britain and the United States.Keir Starmer stressed the importance of the ‘special relationship’ More

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      Labour need to remove two-child benefit cap immediately amid ‘unacceptable’ levels of poverty, MPs say

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorLabour should remove the two-child benefit cap “immediately” to lift thousands of children out of poverty, MPs have said.Chancellor Rachel Reeves has come under pressure from her party’s backbenchers to lift the cap, which prevents almost all parents from claiming universal credit or child tax credit for a third child. The policy, which was brought in by David Cameron’s Conservative government, impacted 450,000 households and 1.6 million children last year according to official figures.Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside Kim Johnson has tabled an amendment to the King’s Speech that would scrap the cap, with the proposal currently backed by 29 MPs. She told The Independent that the level of child poverty in her constituency was “unacceptable” and these children “can’t wait two years for a decision to be made”. She added: “Removing the two-child cap needs to be done and it needs to be done immediately”.Her comments come as education secretary Bridget Phillipson said on Monday morning that she would consider scrapping the cap as part of the newly established Child Poverty Taskforce. The review was set up by prime minister Sir Keir Starmer last week in an apparent attempt to appease backbench MPs who want bolder action on child poverty. A boy plays in the street near the Heron Cross pottery kiln in Stoke on Trent, England. 1.6 million children were affected by the two-child benefit cap last year, government figures show. More

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      Biden was opponent Trump prayed for, ex-UK ambassador says

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorDonald Trump will have harboured hopes of winning a landslide US election victory against Joe Biden, who was the opponent he would have “prayed for”, the UK’s former ambassador to Washington has suggested.The 81-year-old incumbent announced on Sunday that he would cede to calls to end his re-election bid, which had reached a fever pitch over the 25 days since his disastrous TV debate against Mr Trump sparked concerns about his mental fitness.With just 105 days left until the election, all eyes are now on who will replace Mr Biden as the Democratic Party nominee set to face up against an increasingly feverish Trump campaign, which is in the ascendancy after his defiant reaction to an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.Endorsed by Mr Biden, vice president Kamala Harris has emerged as the most likely frontrunner. But others have called for a wider contest to be decided at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on 22 August – a selection process abandoned more than 50 years ago in favour of primaries and caucuses.Sir Kim Darroch – who was forced to resign as the UK’s ambassador in 2019 after leaked cables showed him labelling Mr Trump an “incompetent” and “inept” president – urged Democrats on Monday not to “rush to a decision” on anointing Ms Harris as their candidate.The ex-diplomat said: “The tide at the moment is flowing strongly with Kamala Harris. I’m not sure if it’s sensible to rush to a decision on that, because what the Democrats have to do is look at three key swing states – Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania – and think ‘who is the best placed Democrat to take those?’.“So they need to just pause a little bit and think about this.”Speaking to LBC, Lord Darroch said he believed it had been “a mistake” for Mr Biden, already the oldest president in US history, to initially insist on putting his name forward for a second term in the Oval Office.Sir Kim Darroch was appointed to the House of Lords by Theresa May in 2019 More

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      Keir Starmer launches Skills England to tackle ‘broken’ training system

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer will launch a new body on Monday to deal with Britain’s “fragmented and broken” skills training system.In a bid to ensure training provision is aligned with the needs of the economy, the prime minister will unveil Skills England.The body, which was included in Labour’s manifesto, will bring together central and local government, businesses, trade unions and training providers to better understand the nation’s “skills gap”.Starmer wants Skills England to open up new opportunities for young people More

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      Keir Starmer praises Biden’s ‘remarkable career’ after president quits race

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      Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorUS president Joe Biden will have made his decision to stand down based on the “best interests of the American people”, British prime minister Keir Starmer said.Sir Keir praised Mr Biden’s “remarkable career” and vowed to work with him for the remainder of his presidency after the 81-year-old announced he would not be seeking a second term.In a move set to reverberate across the globe, Mr Biden abandoned his re-election bid on Sunday and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris as his successor.Follow live updates hereSir Keir said: “I respect president Biden’s decision and I look forward to us working together during the remainder of his presidency.US president Joe Biden abandoned his re-election bid on Sunday and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris as his successor More