The Conservative Party has announced plans to reinstate the two-child benefit cap and use the funds raised to increase defence spending should they get into power.
This policy, initially introduced by the Conservatives in 2017, limits child tax credit and Universal Credit payments to the first two children in most households.
The move comes as Labour's draft legislation to abolish the cap has successfully passed through the Commons and is currently progressing through the House of Lords.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticised Sir Keir Starmer, saying his priorities are "completely wrong" and that he has "no plan" to adequately fund the military.
The party estimates that reversing the cap's abolition would generate over £3.2 billion annually, with half allocated to reducing the national deficit and the remainder earmarked for defence.
That will fund the recruitment of 20,000 new soldiers – 6,000 regular soldiers and 14,000 reservists – as well as their accommodation and equipment.
Mrs Badenoch said: “This Prime Minister’s priorities are completely wrong. As we saw at the spring statement this week, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have a plan to raise benefits and no plan for how to properly fund our armed forces.
“With a war in Europe and now also in the Middle East, it’s more important than ever that the Government gives our military the backing it needs.
“Instead, Keir Starmer is pandering to his backbenchers with more welfare giveaways – he simply doesn’t have the backbone to take tough decisions.
“I am clear the Conservatives will always put Britain’s national security first. That means prioritising defence over welfare and boosting our armed forces with 20,000 new troops.”
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “Cutting welfare to fund defence means we can commit to a bigger British Army of 80,000 regulars and 40,000 reservists.
“Britain needs an Army that is credible and deployable to tackle the threats we face today, and that’s what we would deliver, because of our willingness to make tough choices.”
The pledge comes as calls for increasing defence spending intensify amid the conflict in the Middle East.
Sir Keir has promised to spend 2.5% of national economic output, measured as gross domestic product (GDP), on core defence by April 2027, rising to 3% in the next parliament.
The Tories have said if in power they would create a sovereign defence fund, which they say will generate £17 billion in public investment and up to £33 billion in private capital.
The Tories say scrapping the deal to hand back the Chagos Islands could free up to £35 billion.
The move to axe the benefit cap is popular, with MPs voting overwhelmingly in favour of it in February.
The change will see some 400,000 fewer children living in poverty from this April, when the Government wants it to come into force, according to analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
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