🔗 Share this article Discrimination Returning in British Political Landscape, Making Citizens Fearful, Starmer Says Decades-old racial prejudice is resurfacing within UK the political arena, and it makes people feel fearful, the Prime Minister has stated, alerting that divisive far-right political tactics was “tearing our country apart”. Tackling Racist Language and Harmful Strategies Speaking with doctor and media figure Amir Khan, Starmer accused Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for enabling the revival of racist and divisive political discourse “that frankly I thought we had dealt with years back”. In the interview, which aired on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, Starmer also gave his strongest signal that the limit on child benefits might be scrapped in the budget in the coming weeks. Commitment to Combat Poverty Among Children Asked whether he would scrap this restriction, as noted by advocacy groups is the biggest driver of child poverty in the UK, the Prime Minister responded: “I want to state unequivocally I am committed to drive child poverty down.” He outlined steps ministers have already introduced including free school meals, morning meal programs, and childcare but added: “We must go beyond these efforts, and I assure you that I am dedicated to driving down childhood poverty.” Pressed about if his comments indicated he would lift the two-child limit, he stated he “wouldn’t be telling you we plan to reduce child poverty if I wasn’t clear that measures will be introduced a number of measures to achieve this”. Clear Indications from Rachel Reeves Rachel Reeves, gave a similarly clear signal on Monday stating to BBC Radio 5 Live how ultimately, children must not be punished because their parents don’t have very much money”. Government officials are reportedly planning to scrap the restriction fully, after initially considering ways to taper it for bigger households or richer ones. The Resolution Foundation projects this would cost about £3.5bn by 2029-30. Ideological Split and Country’s Revival During the discussion, the Prime Minister explained the ideological split currently in Britain was between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” versus “the toxic division of Reform” and others on the right who were “tearing our country apart”. “Certain language we’re hearing – racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric – that many assumed was resolved in the past is coming back into politics and citizens are fearful,” he said. “We must confront to that racism, that divisiveness, and we have to proudly say that British identity is to have concern for others, is about being fair, is to be tolerant and compassionate, which we value deeply.” Echoing Concerns from the Health Secretary Starmer mirrored sentiments expressed by the Health Secretary, who cautioned recently how an “ugly” racism similar to past decades had become worryingly commonplace again with NHS staff were bearing the brunt of it. The health secretary said incidents of verbal and physical abuse based on people’s skin colour now happened so often that it was now “tolerated to hold racist views”. “It is time to put a stop on racism across the UK and we need to place such harmful attitudes that has emerged nationally where it belongs and once again create a climate in this country where it is not socially acceptable to hold racist views,” the Health Secretary stated. Defining Choice for the Public The Prime Minister spoke at the Labour party conference this autumn to outline clear divisions between himself and Farage, stating that the public faced a “defining choice”. The prime minister said he was engaged in a struggle for the nation’s identity, noting that while the public expressed valid worries regarding unauthorized immigration, there was an ethical boundary that Farage and others had overstepped. The PM vowed to challenge anyone who argued that people who were not white did not belong and that households residing in Britain for years should be deported, saying people promoting such views were “opposed to the country’s progress”. “Encouraging racist violence and hostility, that is not expressing concern: it is illegal. Our political movement is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to leave the country, that is not patriotism; that is pure discrimination,” he informed supporters.