Tax the wealthy to end child poverty, says FM

The first minister says no child should go hungry in one of the richest countries in the world

The first minister has called for wealthier people to pay higher taxes to try to end child poverty.

Eluned Morgan has written the foreword to a document in which Wales's social justice secretary calls for the two-child cap on certain benefits to be scrapped.

The chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have been coming under pressure to end the cap, which was brought in by the Conservatives in 2017.

It is likely to be one of the major themes of the Labour Party conference which starts in Liverpool on Sunday.

Writing in 'Labour Works: Local Action on Child Poverty', Morgan writes that she agrees with former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who also writes in the document.

"As Gordon Brown has argued, it is time to make bold choices - taxing those who can afford it and putting that money where it belongs: into the lives of children.

"We need to make sure that in one of the richest countries in the world, no child goes hungry."

Another former Labour leader, Lord Kinnock, has also proposed a wealth tax, and Welsh social justice secretary Jane Hutt explicitly calls for the cap to scrapped.

She writes: "We continue to call for positive changes in social security policy to tackle child poverty, particularly seeking a commitment to end the two-child benefit rule.

"This would bring hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.

"The evidence is clear and we hope the Conference will debate and discuss the vital measure and encourage the government to support this policy change."

Hutt also says that the Welsh government's own child poverty strategy is being 'refreshed' to evaluate its impact.

£3b price tag to scrap the cap

Morgan called for the cap to be scrapped back in May, but faced criticism from Plaid Cymru who said she was responding to poor polling.

Plaid are opposed to the cap and Reform have called for it to be lifted while the Welsh Conservatives argue that the cost of removing it would be met by taxpayers.

Scrapping the cap would cost around £3bn and the chancellor has been urged to levy a tax on the gambling industry to pay for it.

Morgan argues the Welsh Labour government has used "every power at our disposal to make a difference" citing free school meals in primary schools, Flying Start childcare for toddlers and a basic income pilot for care leavers.

But Welsh ministers' efforts have also been criticised after a target to end child poverty by 2020 was scrapped in 2016, followed by criticism a new plan lacked targets.

The document, published on Saturday afternoon, is described as a 'compendium' from Labour leaders across the UK.

It includes contributions from Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, London mayor Sadiq Khan

The UK government's Child Poverty Review is due to be published in the next few weeks with a mandate to reduce child poverty in this parliament.

The Labour Party conference begins in Liverpool on Saturday with recent polling suggesting that Labour could come a distant third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform at next year's Senedd election.