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The work and pensions secretary frustrated broadcasters on her morning media round today as she repeatedly dodged straight questions about the two-child benefit cap.
Liz Kendall was trying to defend the government’s controversial decision not to scrap the limit, which prevents parents from claiming benefits for their third child, but ended up clashing with presenters time and time again.
On BBC Breakfast, presenter Jon Kay began: “Can we just get some clarity on the two-child benefit cap because it was a Conservative policy that the Conservatives introduced –”
“That we voted against,” Kendall interrupted.
Kay said: “OK, but now the Conservative own MP Suella Braverman said we should get rid of it –”
Kendall cut in: “Well that’s a bit rich, considering she’s been part of a government for 14 years which actually plunged children into poverty, forgive me for not taking her word on it.”
Kay ignored that and continued to list the MPs across the house who want the policy to be abolished.
He said keeping it was a “political choice” and Labour could get rid of it now if they wanted to.
Kendall fired back: “Look, I don’t need anyone telling me about the impact that child poverty has.
“I’ve got a third of children in my city, Leicester, growing up poor. I’ve chaired Feeding Leicester – the programme to end child poverty in my city – but I have also seen people dying waiting for NHS treatment, my council budget cut by a third, the appalling state of housing in this country.”
She said Labour cannot change everything overnight after receiving a “dire inheritance” from the Tories.
When Kay began to question her over other issues – like the WASPI campaigners against pension inequality or carers’ pay – Kendall said: “You’re listing all the problems they left us with, and it’s really serious.”
Kay interrupted her and threw his hands up, saying: “OK, but now you’ve got the job, you’re in government – for how long can you keep blaming the Conservatives and saying we’ll get there in time?”
Kendall just said it will “take time”.
When asked over if she felt frustrated, the minister agreed she did feel “frustrated” the Tories “left this country in such a mess”.
On Sky News, Kendall said tackling the cap was a “priority” but that the government would only take action when it knows it can fund changes.
She said a new task force across government and a new policy unit in the cabinet office were focused on fixing child poverty.
“I know you want us to make commitments now,” Kendall said, but host Kay Burley interrupted to say: “I don’t have two children, I don’t care.
“It doesn’t impact me, it impacts many many many of my viewers who feel it would be a very easy thing for you to do for you to say, ‘we’re going to lift that.’”
Kendall just said there were a “huge range of problems” for the government to fix.
And on Times Radio, Kendall said she is “absolutely passionate about driving down child poverty”.
She added: “I’m not into a wink and nudge politics.
“You know I am not going to look constituents in the face and tell them I’m going to do something without actually having done the sums.”
The presenter Rosie Wright said: “It sounds as though you’re saying if you could afford it you’d like to do it but right now you can’t.”
Kendall said: “Well as I said, I’m not into giving you a wink and a nudge here, I know that would be the easiest thing!”
Wright hit back: “I don’t want a wink and a nudge!”
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