MOST MPs represent areas where at least a quarter of children are in poverty, shocking stats have revealed, piling further pressure on the Labour government to scrap the two-child benefit cap.

The analysis by Loughborough University published today shows that in two-thirds of UK constituencies, at least one in four children live in relative poverty after housing costs.

Constituencies with the highest child poverty rates include Birmingham Ladywood, where 62 per cent of children are in poverty, and Bradford West, where the the figure is  57 per cent.

Among the ministers representing areas with higher-than-average poverty rates is Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, whose Holborn & St Pancras constituency in London has a child poverty rate of 47 per cent.

Cabinet members such as Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall all represent areas with child poverty rates standing at above 40 per cent.

The report finds a “very strong correlation” between child poverty and the two-child benefit cap, which prevents parents from claiming universal credit or child tax credit for more than two children. 

More than 135 organisations belonging to the End Child Poverty Coalition have called for the government to scrap the policy for good.

Coalition chairman Dan Paskins, of the Save the Children charity, said: “A record number are now in poverty and this is under the noses of our MPs, particularly cabinet members. 

“Eighty per cent of Keir Starmer’s Cabinet represent constituencies with higher than average child poverty rates.

“The time for action is now, and the comprehensive spending review and forthcoming child poverty strategy should involve bold action.” 

The government was due to deliver its child poverty strategy this spring but this has now been delayed until autumn. 

Liv, 21, from Liverpool, who is an End Child Poverty Coalition ambassador, said: “Growing up in poverty is relentless, and it’s never just about money: it is about isolation, shame, and missed opportunities.

“A proper government strategy on child poverty could give us hope. It shows that our experience is heard and that there’s a commitment to building a fairer society where no child has to grow up feeling less than others just because of their circumstances.”

A government spokesperson said: “This government is determined to bring down child poverty. We’ve already expanded free breakfast clubs, introduced a cap on the cost of school uniforms, increased the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes, uprated benefits in April and supported 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.

“We will publish an ambitious child poverty strategy later this year to ensure we deliver fully-funded measures that tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty across the country.”