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Decades-old racial prejudice is resurfacing to UK the political arena, which leaves citizens very scared, Keir Starmer warned, cautioning that polarizing hard-right politics are “tearing our country apart”.

Tackling Discriminatory Rhetoric and Divisive Strategies

Speaking with GP and TV personality a well-known TV doctor, the prime minister pointed to the Reform UK party of overseeing a return of discriminatory and divisive political discourse which many believed was resolved long ago”.

During the discussion, broadcast on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, Starmer also gave his strongest signal suggesting the two-child benefit cap could be removed during the upcoming fiscal announcement later this month.

Commitment to Reduce Child Poverty

When questioned whether he would scrap this restriction, as noted by advocacy groups is the biggest driver of child poverty across Britain, Starmer said: “I can tell you in no uncertain terms I am committed to reduce child poverty.”

He outlined steps the government has already launched including free school meals, breakfast clubs, and child care support but added: “We need to do more than that, and I can look you in the eye that I will personally focus to driving down child poverty.”

When pressed on whether his remarks meant he would lift the two-child cap, he said “It would be misleading to claim we plan to reduce child poverty if I wasn’t clear that measures will be introduced a number of measures in order to do so”.

Strong Signals from the Chancellor

Rachel Reeves, provided a similarly clear signal on Monday stating to BBC Radio 5 Live how “in the end, a child should not be penalised if their parents are struggling financially”.

Government officials are reportedly planning to remove the cap completely, having originally looked at ways to taper it for bigger households or richer ones. An economic thinktank projects this would cost about £3.5bn by 2029-30.

Political Divide and National Renewal

During the discussion, the Prime Minister explained the political divide in the UK now existed between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” and “the toxic division of Reform” and others on the right that are “splitting the UK”.

“Some of the rhetoric being used – discriminatory talk, polarizing language – which I believed had been addressed long ago is coming back into politics leaving people very scared,” he stated.

“It is essential to oppose such discrimination, that division, and affirm with pride that to be British is to have concern for others, is to be reasonable, entails tolerance and kindness, and this is our pride.”

Reflecting Concerns from Wes Streeting

Starmer mirrored sentiments expressed by the Health Secretary, who warned earlier this month that an “ugly” racism similar to past decades had become alarmingly frequent once more and that NHS staff were facing the worst of it.

The health secretary said incidents of both verbal and physical attacks targeting individuals due to race now happened so often making it “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“It is time to put a stop to discrimination across the UK and we need to place such harmful attitudes that’s found expression in our country back in its box and once again create an environment in this country where racism is unacceptable to hold racist views,” Streeting stated.

Defining Choice for Voters

Starmer used his speech during a major political gathering this autumn to outline clear divisions with his political opponents, saying that voters confronted a crucial decision.

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 an ethical boundary that Farage and others had overstepped.

Starmer vowed to confront anyone who argued that non-white individuals were not truly British and that households residing in the UK for generations must be removed, stating people promoting such views were “an enemy of national renewal”.

“If you incite racial attacks and hostility, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to ‘go home’, that’s not pride; that’s racism,” he informed supporters.