FORMER children's charity boss Kirsty McNeill is under fire for voting against scrapping the two-child benefit cap.
The newly elected Labour MP for Midlothian, a parliamentary private secretary in the Scotland Office, joined all but seven Labour MPs in voting against an SNP amendment to the King’s Speech calling for the cap to end.
Analysis published before the vote found the typical cost of the two-child cap to families in Scotland this year is £287.92 a month, or £3455 a year, for families with three children, and £575.84 a month, or £6910 a year, for families with four children.
The Labour Party have insisted they oppose the policy in principle, but they cannot fund the estimated £2.5 billion it would cost to scrap it.
The SNP had tabled an amendment which demanded the policy that limits the amount of money people with more than two children are entitled to in benefits be scrapped.
It received support from six independent, four Green, 64 LibDems and, finally, seven Labour MPs from England – all of whom have subsequently been suspended.
But McNeill has received further scrutiny given her job before the General Election was a senior position at Save The Children.
Dan Paskins, who replaced McNeill as executive director of policy, advocacy and campaigns, even said two days ago: “No child poverty strategy will be credible unless the two-child limit is scrapped at the Autumn Budget.”
Kirsty McNeill, the new MP for Midlothian, was Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy & Campaigns at @SaveChildrenUK before being elected. This was their position on the two-child cap on benefits during her time there👇 https://t.co/Wlnnj1g9F3 pic.twitter.com/0BETkfWHlb
— Marty Smith (@MartySmith91) July 19, 2024
Marty Smith, lead organiser for Fans Supporting Foodbanks Dundee, said on Twitter/X (above) that the charity has long opposed the policy, even during McNeill’s tenure as the “most cost-effective way of reducing child poverty”.
McNeill, who was also previously a special adviser to Gordon Brown, used her maiden Commons speech to highlight children’s poverty.
In a tweet highlighting the speech, she said: “We are all of us products of the investments made in us as children so it is to Midlothian’s children and young people I made my most solemn undertakings in my maiden speech.”
Bronwyn highlighted this on Twitter/X (below), saying: “This is my new MP doing her maiden speech on investing in children, yet tonight on her first vote she voted against scrapping the two-child benefit cap.”
This is my new MP doing her maiden speech on investing in children , yet tonight on her first vote she voted against scrapping the 2 child benefit cap 🤷🏼♀️ #LabourAreTory https://t.co/U7jv3FBKoT
— Bronwyn (@BronwynChat) July 23, 2024
Former Labour MSP Neil Findlay said: “Disappointed that no Scottish Labour MP has signed this motion despite it being the clear position of the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar.”
Meanwhile, Steven Campbell – who is the Convener of Young Scots for Independence – said: "My new Labour MP Kirsty McNeill voted against scrapping the two-child cap. Here she is promising Midlothian she ‘will always fight for your family as if it’s my own’.
“I guess that doesn’t include poorer families who have the audacity to have more than two kids. Shameful.”
A Scotland Office spokesperson said: “We will take bold action alongside the Scottish Government to support families right away, by developing an ambitious strategy to reduce poverty, tackle inequality and make work pay.
"Banning exploitative zero hours contracts and increasing the minimum wage will give people more security at work. It’s the crucial first step in lifting people out of poverty.”
