Landmark Budget Scraps 'Barbaric' Tory Policies
In a historic moment for British politics, Rachel Reeves delivered her first Autumn Budget as Britain's inaugural female Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Labour MP used her powerful Commons address to announce the abolition of what she termed "grotesque" welfare policies introduced by the previous Conservative government.
Ending Child Poverty and the 'Vile' Rape Clause
Reeves confirmed the immediate scrapping of the controversial two-child benefit limit, a policy that affected approximately one in nine children across the United Kingdom. This decisive action will lift an estimated 350,000 children out of poverty directly, while simultaneously reducing the depth of poverty for a further 800,000 young people.
The Chancellor delivered particularly strong condemnation against the so-called 'rape clause', which required women to prove their child was conceived through non-consensual sex to receive additional support. "I will not tolerate the grotesque indignity of the rape clause any longer," Reeves declared to Parliament. "It is dehumanising, it is cruel, and I will remove it from the statute book."
The Mirror had recently highlighted the devastating impact of this policy through the experience of Maria, a survivor who was forced to repeatedly recount her assault to Department for Work and Pensions staff despite suffering from PTSD. With the policy's abolition, women like Maria will no longer face this retraumatising process.
A Chancellor Who Understands Ordinary Struggles
Reeves, who comes from a family of primary school teachers, spoke passionately about her motivations. "I joined the Labour party because I believe every child has equal worth," she told MPs. She described witnessing childhood poverty firsthand, recalling her own education in schools where textbooks were shared and lessons occurred in portacabins.
The Budget represents a significant shift from Conservative welfare approaches, with Reeves emphasising that 59% of children affected by the two-child limit had at least one parent in work. She argued that families' circumstances often change unexpectedly through marriage breakdowns, bereavement, or disability, making the previous policy particularly punitive.
Additional measures announced include funding for libraries in every secondary school, playground upgrades nationwide, and the abolition of 'bingo duty' while maintaining pressure on gambling companies. The Chancellor also addressed historical injustices, including transferring investment reserves from the British Coal fund to its members and making payments from the blood infection compensation fund exempt from inheritance tax.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the Budget, claiming Reeves would become the "worst Chancellor in history." However, the Labour government maintained that lifting children from poverty represents the most significant achievement any Chancellor can deliver, with Reeves establishing a legacy that benefits 1.5 million children through the scrapping of the two-child cap alone.
