THE SNP has written to Sir Keir Starmer calling for a four-nations summit on eradicating child poverty after the Prime Minister announced a task force to tackle the issue.

In today’s letter, the SNP’s leader in Westminster Stephen Flynn said spending cuts and Brexit had seen Britain become “one of the poorest and most unequal countries among our European neighbours,” adding: “That will only change with concerted action and substantial investment from the UK government, which has been severely lacking.”

Mr Flynn confirmed the SNP will press ahead with its amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped immediately.

He warned that “the task force must not be used as an excuse to delay action.”

“Scrapping the cap is the bare minimum required if your government wants to scratch the surface on tackling child poverty, and every day you delay, more children will suffer the consequences of Labour government inaction,” he wrote.

In Scotland, the SNP government has introduced statutory targets and a range of additional benefits including the Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Baby Box.

The SNP is calling for the Labour government to introduce a comprehensive package of measures to eradicate child poverty, including immediately scrapping the two-child benefit cap and matching the Scottish Child Payment by raising universal credit by £26.70 per child, per week across Britain.

“It is important for the governments across the isles to work together on this issue, to move quickly and to learn from best practice,” Mr Flynn wrote.

“I am therefore calling for a four-nations summit on eradicating child poverty this summer.”