‘My attempt at being pro-family has failed’ - Nigel Farage

Nigel Farage has said his “attempt at being pro-family has failed”, as he defended Reform UK’s support for the two-child benefit cap.

Mr Farage vowed to axe the cap in May last year, saying it was the “right thing to do”, before later clarifying it should be lifted only for British families in work.

But Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s new Treasury spokesman, said on Wednesday that the policy “has to go”, calling for the cap to be kept.

The Labour Government is in the process of removing the limit, which currently prevents most families claiming benefits for more than two children.

“Let’s not be confused over it,” Mr Farage told reporters.

“What I wanted was the two-child cap lifted for working British families, and for my efforts I got branded, even in the Tory press, as being a socialist.

“It backfired.

“It didn’t work.

“Any attempt to do anything that is pro-family seems to be very, very difficult to do.”

The Reform UK leader said his plan “was only going to cost a tiny amount of money” compared with Labour’s proposal.

Asked whether being called a “socialist” made him change his mind, Mr Farage replied: “Being accused of being profligate with taxpayers’ money, and yes, I’m not very keen on being called a socialist.”

Mr Farage later said: “My attempt at being pro-family has failed.”

Speaking in a pitch to the City the day after he became Reform UK Treasury spokesman, Mr Jenrick said: “Reform is changing our policy on the two-child cap for universal credit.

“The policy was well-meaning.

“We want to help British working families to have more children but, right now, we just cannot afford to do so with welfare.

“So, it has to go.”

'Workers, not welfare'

The former Conservative shadow justice secretary, who left Kemi Badenoch’s front bench to join Mr Farage’s team, also described his new party as one of “workers, not welfare”.

He vowed to “end the abuse of the Motability scheme”, which allows some benefits claimants to use their mobility allowance to lease a vehicle, “where expensive cars are handed out for conditions like tennis elbow and paid for by working people who could never afford the same cars”.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowed to reform tax reliefs linked to Motability at her last budget in November.

Asked by the Press Association whether welfare policy “battle lines” had become less clear, Mr Farage said: “Supply-side reform, radical supply-side reform – that’s what we’re talking about.

“And I tell you what, there are 4.4 million sole traders out there who will cheer to the rafters and many, many others.

“This is very, very different.”

Mr Farage unveiled his top team earlier this week, naming Richard Tice the party’s new business, trade and energy spokesman and handing Zia Yusuf the home affairs brief.

Suella Braverman, who became the party’s education, skills and equalities spokeswoman, said her party in government would “repeal the Equality Act”, calling instead for “a country defined by meritocracy not tokenism, personal responsibility not victimhood, excellence not mediocrity, and unity not division”.

Asked whether he could guarantee nobody would lose a job because of their sex, ethnicity or disability as a result of the change, the party leader told broadcasters: “Well, people are losing their jobs now, particularly if they are white, and male and middle-aged, and that’s the problem, that actually something that was designed to stop discrimination becomes in itself discriminatory.

“The protections you’re talking about were in law way before the 2010 Equalities Act.”

MPs are next due to consider the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill on Monday.

'Shameful'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described Reform UK’s position on the two-child cap as “shameful”.

He told reporters in South Wales it showed “a total disregard for the lives of young people”.

Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride wrote on X: “How can anyone trust a word Reform say when they change their policies every five minutes?

“They said they would scrap the two child benefit cap, now they say they won’t.”

Sir Mel also claimed Reform UK’s policies “are never thought through and their numbers never add up”.

He wrote: “They are just like Labour – they will make big promises with no plan to actually deliver them.”