Farage will end two-child benefit cap to win over left

Nigel Farage is preparing to outflank the prime minister on benefits by committing to restoring winter fuel payments in full to all pensioners and scrapping the two-child benefit cap.

- BRYONY GOOCH MILLIE COOKE

It is understood the Reform UK leader will try to appeal to more leftwing voters in a speech next week, where he will brand Sir Keir Starmer “one of the most unpatriotic prime ministers in our history”.

The speech will pile further pressure on Sir Keir, who is already braced for a major rebellion from his own MPs on upcoming welfare cuts and facing growing concern over the direction of the Labour Party under his leadership.

Mr Farage’s upcoming speech – first reported in the Telegraph – marks an attempt to regain control of the narrative after he was criticised for taking a week of holiday while the House of Commons was sitting. The Clacton MP was abroad while the prime minister struck a major UK-EU deal and signed a treaty to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.