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Decades-old racism is returning within UK politics, and it leaves citizens very scared, the Prime Minister has stated, cautioning how divisive hard-right political tactics was “splitting the UK”.

Confronting Discriminatory Language and Divisive Politics

Speaking to GP and TV personality Amir Khan, Starmer accused the Reform UK party for enabling a return of discriminatory and divisive political discourse which many believed was resolved decades ago”.

During the discussion, broadcast on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, the PM also gave his strongest signal that the limit on child benefits might be scrapped in the budget later this month.

Promise to Reduce Child Poverty

Asked if he would scrap this restriction, as noted by advocacy groups is a major cause of child poverty across Britain, Starmer said: “Let me be perfectly clear I will strive to reduce child poverty.”

He listed measures ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, breakfast clubs, and childcare but added: “We must go beyond these efforts, and I can look you in the eye that I am personally committed to driving down childhood poverty.”

Pressed about if his comments indicated he intended to remove the two-child cap, he stated he “wouldn’t be telling you we are going to drive down poverty among children if I wasn’t clear that measures will be introduced various actions for that purpose”.

Strong Indications from the Chancellor

The Chancellor, provided a similarly clear signal on Monday when she told BBC Radio 5 Live how ultimately, no child should suffer if their parents are struggling financially”.

Government officials are getting ready to scrap the restriction fully, after initially considering gradual removal either for very large families or wealthier families. An economic thinktank projects this would cost about £3.5bn by 2029-30.

Ideological Split and National Renewal

During the discussion, Starmer said the ideological split currently in Britain was between the government’s vision for renewal versus Reform’s harmful divisiveness and other right-wing groups who were “tearing our country apart”.

“Parts of the discourse currently circulating – discriminatory talk, polarizing language – that many assumed was resolved long ago has reemerged in political debate leaving people fearful,” he said.

“It is essential to oppose such discrimination, that division, and we have to proudly say that British identity involves caring for others, requires rationality, is to be tolerant and kindness, and this is our pride.”

Reflecting Warnings from Wes Streeting

The prime minister mirrored sentiments used by Wes Streeting, who cautioned recently how a disturbing form of discrimination reminiscent of past decades was now alarmingly frequent again with healthcare workers were bearing the brunt of this trend.

Streeting said occurrences of verbal and physical abuse targeting individuals due to race now happened so often that it was now “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“It is time to put a stop on racism in this country and we’ve got to put such harmful attitudes that’s found expression in our country where it belongs and reestablish a climate in this country where it is not socially acceptable to hold racist views,” Streeting said.

Critical Decision for Voters

Starmer used his speech during a major political gathering in September to outline clear divisions with his political opponents, stating that the public faced a pivotal moment.

The prime minister said he was involved in a “fight for the soul of our country”, noting although voters had “reasonable” concerns regarding unauthorized immigration, there was “a moral line” which some politicians had crossed.

Starmer pledged to confront those who argued that people who were not white could not be English or British and that families residing in the UK for generations must be removed, saying people promoting such views constituted “an enemy of national renewal”.

“If you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern: it is illegal. Our political movement values national symbols, yet if they are painted with hateful messages, targeting a business owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he told activists.