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Long-standing racism is returning within UK the political arena, which leaves citizens fearful, Keir Starmer has stated, cautioning that divisive far-right political tactics was “splitting the UK”.

Confronting Discriminatory Rhetoric and Harmful Strategies

Speaking with doctor and media figure Amir Khan, Starmer accused Nigel Farage’s Reform UK for enabling the revival to discriminatory and divisive political discourse “that frankly I thought we had dealt with decades ago”.

In the interview, broadcast on ITV’s Lorraine show this week, the PM also gave a clear indication that the limit on child benefits would be lifted in the budget in the coming weeks.

Promise to Reduce Poverty Among Children

Asked if he planned to eliminate the limit, which charities have said is the biggest driver of child poverty in the UK, Starmer responded: “Let me be perfectly clear I am determined to drive child poverty down.”

He outlined measures ministers have already introduced such as free school meals, morning meal programs, and child care support and emphasized: “Further action is necessary, and I assure you and tell you I am dedicated to driving down childhood poverty.”

When pressed on whether his comments indicated he would lift the two-child limit, Starmer stated “I would not say we aim to lower poverty among children unless I was certain that we will implement several steps in order to do so”.

Clear Signals from the Chancellor

The Chancellor, provided a similarly clear signal earlier this week when she told BBC Radio 5 Live that “in the end, children must not be punished because their parents don’t have very much money”.

Ministers are reportedly planning to lift the limit entirely, after initially considering gradual removal for bigger households or wealthier families. An economic thinktank projects this would cost about £3.5bn by the end of the decade.

Political Divide and Country’s Revival

During the discussion, the Prime Minister explained the ideological split currently in Britain was between Labour’s “patriotic national renewal” and Reform’s harmful divisiveness and others on the right that are “dividing the nation”.

“Certain language being used – discriminatory talk, divisive rhetoric – that frankly I thought was resolved long ago has reemerged in political debate leaving people deeply afraid,” he said.

“We must confront such discrimination, that division, and we have to proudly say that to be British is to have concern for others, requires rationality, entails tolerance and kindness, and this is our pride.”

Echoing Concerns from Wes Streeting

The prime minister echoed language expressed by the Health Secretary, who warned recently how a disturbing form of discrimination reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s had become worryingly commonplace once more with healthcare workers were primary targets of it.

Streeting noted incidents of both verbal and physical attacks targeting individuals due to race now happened so often making it “acceptable to express racism”.

“It is time to put a stop to discrimination across the UK and we need to place such harmful attitudes that’s found expression in our country where it belongs and once again create a climate in this country that rejects racism to hold racist views,” Streeting stated.

Critical Decision for the Public

Starmer used his speech at the Labour party conference this autumn to draw clear divisions between himself and Farage, stating that the public confronted a crucial decision.

The prime minister said he was involved in a “fight for the soul of our country”, and argued that while the public had “reasonable” concerns regarding unauthorized immigration, there was “a moral line” that Farage and others had overstepped.

Starmer pledged to “fight” anyone claiming that people who were not white were not truly British and that households who had lived in the UK for generations must be removed, saying those advocating these ideas were “against national unity”.

“If you incite racial attacks and hostility, that goes beyond concern: it’s criminal. Our political movement values national symbols, yet if they are painted with hateful messages, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to leave the country, that is not patriotism; that is pure discrimination,” he told supporters.