Overview
- Anas Sarwar set three priorities for the Budget: abolish the two-child benefit cap, deliver a package to cut energy bills, and rule out a return to austerity.
- He said he has raised these demands directly with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- Reporting indicates Reeves has signalled the decade-old cap is likely to be removed, with final decisions due in the Budget statement.
- The SNP-led Scottish Government plans mitigation for affected families in Scotland early next year if Westminster does not act quickly.
- Separately, reports suggest Reeves will not raise income tax, which Sarwar says would mean other fiscal choices are needed to fund ending the cap.