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Long-standing racism has come back to UK the political arena, which makes people feel very scared, Keir Starmer has stated, alerting how divisive hard-right political tactics was “dividing the nation”.

Tackling Racist Rhetoric and Divisive Politics

Speaking to GP and TV personality a well-known TV doctor, Starmer accused Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for enabling the revival of racist and divisive political discourse that seemed a thing of the past years back”.

In the interview, broadcast on a popular morning program this week, Starmer also gave a clear indication suggesting the limit on child benefits would be lifted in the budget later this month.

Promise to Reduce Poverty Among Children

When questioned whether he planned to eliminate the limit, as noted by advocacy groups is a major cause of poverty for children in the UK, Starmer said: “Let me be perfectly clear I will strive to drive child poverty down.”

He listed measures ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, morning meal programs, and child care support but added: “We need to do more than that, and I can look you in the eye that I am personally committed on reducing child poverty.”

Pressed about if his comments indicated he would lift the two-child limit, he stated he “wouldn’t be telling you we aim to lower child poverty without being sure that we will be taking several steps to achieve this”.

Strong Indications from the Chancellor

Rachel Reeves, provided a similarly clear signal earlier this week stating to a national radio station how ultimately, no child should suffer due to their family’s financial situation”.

Ministers are reportedly planning to lift the limit entirely, having originally looked at gradual removal either for very large families or wealthier families. An economic thinktank projects the expense would be roughly £3.5 billion in the coming years.

Political Divide and Country’s Revival

In the interview, the Prime Minister said the political divide in the UK now was between the government’s vision for renewal and “the toxic division of Reform” and others on the right that are “splitting the UK”.

“Some of the rhetoric we’re hearing – racist rhetoric, polarizing language – which I believed we had dealt with decades ago is returning to politics leaving people deeply afraid,” he said.

“It is essential to oppose to that racism, that divisiveness, and affirm with pride that to be British involves caring for others, is about being fair, is to be tolerant and kindness, which we value deeply.”

Echoing Warnings from the Health Secretary

The prime minister mirrored language expressed by Wes Streeting, who warned earlier this month that an “ugly” racism reminiscent of past decades had become worryingly commonplace again and that healthcare workers were primary targets of it.

The health secretary said incidents of both verbal and physical attacks based on people’s skin colour now happened so often that it had become “socially acceptable to be racist”.

“We must end to discrimination across the UK and we’ve got to put such harmful attitudes that’s found expression in our country back in its box and once again create an environment in this country where it is not socially acceptable to be racist,” Streeting stated.

Critical Decision for Voters

Starmer used his speech during a major political gathering this autumn to outline political battle lines with his political opponents, stating that the public faced a crucial decision.

He said he was engaged in a “fight for the soul of our country”, noting although voters had “reasonable” concerns regarding unauthorized immigration, there was an ethical boundary which some politicians had crossed.

Starmer pledged to challenge anyone who argued that non-white individuals could not be English or British and that households who had lived in the UK for generations must be removed, saying those advocating these ideas constituted “an enemy of national renewal”.

“If you incite racist violence and hatred, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement values national symbols, but if they are displayed with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to leave the country, that’s not pride; that is pure discrimination,” he informed activists.