York’s two MPs have responded to a claim that they voted against lifting 250,000 children out of poverty.
Both York Central MP Rachael Maskell and her new Labour colleague for York Outer Luke Charters voted against an amendment to remove the two-child benefits cap.
Seven other Labour MPs were suspended for backing an SNP motion to abolish the welfare limit.
At a full City of York Council meeting, all Labour councillors voted to express to both of Labour’s York MPs that the council opposes the two-child benefits cap.
Leading York Liberal Democrat Cllr Andrew Waller said: “It is extremely disappointing to see that Rachael Maskell voted against scrapping the two-child benefits cap when seven of her Labour colleagues had the courage to stand up against child poverty.
“We were told at the full council meeting that Rachael was running a petition to scrap the two-child benefits cap, so it is particularly odd that she has ignored her own petition and decided to keep 250,000 children in poverty.”
Emilie Knight, the Lib Dem councillor for Rural West, said: “I wrote a letter to our new MP for York Outer, Luke Charters, to ask him to use his new position to advocate for the scrapping the two-child benefits cap.
“Voters two weeks ago lent him their support at the General Election to get rid of the previous Tory government. For him to use his very first vote in Parliament to continue a policy that has plunged hundreds of thousands of children deeper into poverty is an insult.”
However, both the MPs robustly defended their position.
Rachael Maskell said: “Ironically, it was the LibDem/Tory coalition government that signed up to then Tory Chancellor George Osborne’s deficit-reduction targets which led to the slashing of the welfare budget and introduction of the two child benefit cap in 2015, straight after the General Election. A measure that I voted against at second and third reading in 2015.
“To suggest that Labour would not address child poverty is completely disingenuous and it is disgraceful that the Lib Dems in York would play politics over such an important issue.
“Ending poverty, including for children, is the reason the Labour Party exists. Under the coalition and Tory Governments child poverty trebled.
“Labour has set up a taskforce to work alongside academics and charities, as well as take evidence from people with lived experience of poverty to take 4.3m children out of poverty, including 1m living in destitution. As part of this work, I am campaigning to scrap the two child benefit cap and invite residents to sign my petition.”
Luke Charters said: “Labour have immediately set to work on an ambitious child poverty strategy which is overseen by a new ministerial taskforce and co-chaired by both the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; and Education.
“Our manifesto also included concrete actions such as free breakfast clubs; expanding government funded childcare; and cutting school uniform costs.
“The last Labour government took over half a million children out of poverty. Labour has tackled child poverty before and will do it again.”