Good morning. Often, child poverty is not the center of national political debate (although it should be). But yesterday, at PMQS, Kemi Badenoch did ask Keir Starmer if she was committed to keeping the benefits cap for two children, which was a benefit cut in the Osborne era, which was seen as a key driver of child poverty. She did this not because she wanted to use the Conservative Party as a supporter of child poverty (although arguably an explanation of her position), but because she knew the policy was popular and these voters were subject to George Osborne's claim that it was unfair to pay very poor children when many other parents restricted them from limiting what they could afford based on children they could not afford. (Welfare experts say this is a serious misunderstanding satire about why people with three or more children end up needing welfare, and even if it is unfair to punish children, Osborn's argument still seems to be a win in public opinion. Voters (according to some polls, they want to leave almost one-on-one voters).

Badenoch isn't too far because Starmer just avoids the issue. (This doesn't mean she identified it as a labor dilemma wrong; it just means Starmer avoided it as a problem yesterday.) It's still unclear what effect Starmer has on the welfare cap for two kids. But he told MPs at lunch yesterday: “I am convinced to reduce poverty and child poverty.”

And, overnight, the government announced a widely welcome policy that would reduce child poverty in England. It will expand the opportunity for poor children to provide free school meals. In a press release Ministry of Education explain:

The annual free nutritious meal will benefit over a million children as the government puts £500 back into parents’ pockets each year by expanding the eligibility for free school meals.

Starting from the 2026 school year, every family with universal credibility students will have new rights to enjoy free school meals. For parents who struggle the most, this will make life easier and more affordable and break down barriers to opportunity for government change plans and bring the best start for children.

An unprecedented expansion will completely lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty.

But not immediately. In the analysis, this is usually positive for announcements Institute of Finance Although eventually 100,000 children in England will get rid of poverty through such measures, the figures will be much lower in the near term.

Christine Farquharson, deputy director of IFS, explained:

Free school meals are provided for all children with universal credibility in the long run, meaning there are about 1.7 million children free lunches. However, the transitional protection measures introduced in 2018 have greatly increased the number of children who accept free school meals today - so in the short term, today's announcements are both much less (about £250 million per year) and less student gains (the government's estimate is 500,000 children). This also means that today's announcement will not see 100,000 children out of poverty next year.

This is the second major announcement of the week, linked to next week’s spending review and provides positive news for labor lawmakers and supporters. (Yesterday was about a £15 billion transport infrastructure plan.) Westminster skeptics believe the Treasury is trying to buy some goodwill before the actual announcement, which will cause grim titles about spending cuts.

It is also unclear whether the story of child poverty today proves that the government is moving towards abolishing the welfare cap for two children, which will have a greater impact on reducing child poverty, or simply replace it.

Free school meal announcements cover only England. England often lags behind decentralized governments in welfare policies, and it is worth pointing out that they have more generous regulations on free school meals anyway. In Scotland, all children in primary school for the first five years, all primary school students can accept them, in Northern Ireland, the means of testing are suitable, but it is more generous than English. In labor-run London, all primary school students also receive free school meals.

This is the agenda of the day.

9.30 am: Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden asked a question in the House of Commons.

morning: Keir Starmer is at a school in southeast England where he will talk to the broadcaster.

After 10:30 am: Commons head Lucy Powell asked questions about the Commons business next week.

11:00 am: Shadow Chancellor Shadow Chancellor Mel Stride, speaking on RSA Thinktank, will say the Conservatives will no longer risk economically like those unfunded tax cuts in Liz Truss’ mini-budget.

11.30 am: Downing Street held a briefing in the hall.

In Scotland, people are voting in the double elections in Hamilton, Lackhall and Stone House, where the death of the SNP MSP triggered the by-election.

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