Sam Rushworth

“The last time we debated this issue, I took many interventions from Conservative Members—there are fewer of them in the Chamber today—who wanted to know whether I would support lifting the two-child cap. As I said at the time, increasing the household incomes of children in poverty is one of several things we need to do to tackle the scourge of child poverty in places like Bishop Auckland, and I trust that the Government’s heart is in the right place on this issue. As such, I am delighted by the proposals they have brought forward and I will enthusiastically vote for the Bill. It will lift 450,000 children out of poverty. Some 2,310 households in my constituency are currently affected by the two-child cap. As I said, the Bill is only one measure; it needs to be combined with others. We have heard often in this debate that removing the two-child cap is the single quickest way to lift children out of poverty. That is because we measure poverty by household income, but poverty is multi-dimensional, and it is important that we address its multifaceted aspects. Combined with other measures, the Bill will make a real difference. Those measures include: the Renters’ Rights Act 2025; the Employment Rights Act 2025; increases in the national minimum wage; the falling interest rates that are cutting mortgages; the new rules on school uniforms; the 30 hours of free childcare; free breakfast clubs in every school to reduce the early morning stress on working parents; the extension of free school meals to a further 4,500 children in Bishop Auckland; the extension of the warm home discount to more households; and investment in youth hubs, family hubs, and arts and culture. All those things will help to support children in poverty, which is why I am proud to be part of this Labour Government at this time. At a roundtable in my constituency shortly after I was elected, we invited educators and charities—people who work with children—to talk to us about their experience of child poverty. There were tears in the room as headteachers talked of having to bring food into school to feed hungry children; of a child whose uniform was wet because there was no glass in the window of their home; of children living in cold and damp homes; and of children in Shildon who are excluded from extracurricular activities because they have to get the only free bus home, as their parents cannot afford the £1 bus fare to take a later bus. I came here today to speak on behalf of those children and to be their voice. I will address some of the arguments that we have heard against the Bill. Too much of this debate has focused on party politics, rather than children. The Opposition seem to be simultaneously arguing that we should have done this sooner and should not be doing it at all. As I have engaged with the Government over the past 18 months and had many conversations, including in No. 10 and with Ministers, I have been reassured throughout that the Prime Minister has a strong personal commitment to eradicating child poverty, so it did not surprise me at all to see this legislation brought forward. The opposition to what we are doing today is based on falsehoods. The first is that the Bill is about supporting children in workless households. As my hon. Friend the Member for Calder Valley (Josh Fenton-Glynn) said a moment ago, the children are not to blame. We can never blame a child for being born in a poor home. Also, 59% of the families affected by the two-child cap are families in work. We also know that universal credit requires people to show evidence of actively seeking work. People cannot simply sit on universal credit—it is not that easy. We know, too, that it is often a temporary measure. I think about my family. Twelve years ago, I was working as a gardener on just above the minimum wage while I was completing my PhD, and my wife was working as a carer. We relied for a time on having our income topped up by tax credits, as they were called then. I almost crossed out that bit of my speech, because I know I will get an onslaught of abuse just for saying so, such is the rhetoric in our country right now, demonising people who ever draw on our social security system. My twin sister became a single parent, not of her choosing, and raised three children, two of whom had a disability. I remember her telling me that when she moved into her council house, a friend told her that she could paint the floor and put duvets at the windows to keep it warmer. My sister put herself through a degree in pharmacy at Durham University and now works in my constituency as a pharmacist for a GP practice. My brother, who was the highest earner in our family, died at the age of 35, leaving behind three children. People fall on hard times, and when they do, a caring society should be there for each other. One of the other lies we are hearing in this debate is that the Bill is funded by a tax on workers. Other parties seek to divide people, telling those who are just about managing that their taxes are paying for people who are not working, and it is not true. We know what is funding this Bill and many other things: a fairer tax system, abolishing the non-dom status, a mansion tax, and the remote gaming duty, which will generate an extra £1 billion. It is about fairness and who pays. Finally, there is this lie that keeping children in poverty is good or necessary for the economy. It is not. The welfare bill increased by £88 billion under the Conservative Government, despite the real value of welfare decreasing. They oversaw a real-terms decrease in living standards. That led to a generation of children who were malnourished, who experienced family breakdown and who were denied opportunities to become a generation of adults realising their full potential. We had an increase in sickness and in days lost to sick pay, an increase in mental health disorders and a 250% increase in looked-after children. We have rising cost pressures on Government as a result of those policies. As I finish, I must turn my attention to the comments made by the hon. Member for Runcorn and Helsby (Sarah Pochin), who is no longer in her place. I intend to write to her, because I was deeply offended by the suggestion that people who were not born in this country, but work hard, are somehow less. My wife was not born in this country; she came here as a teenager. She worked in a meat factory and as a carer. More recently, she went through university and now works as a midwife in our NHS. I am so proud of her, and I find the idea disgusting that she should somehow be less entitled because of her birth. Reform needs to rethink that. To conclude, I will be voting with the Government tonight, and I re-emphasise that this is one of several things that we need to do in our national mission to end the scourge of child poverty in our country once and for all.”