PRESSURE is growing on Sir Keir Starmer to commit to scrapping the two-child limit under a Labour government amid ongoing criticism of its recent green pledge U-turn.

The SNP welcomed former Labour leader Gordon Brown’s recent call that it is “the right thing to do,” urging the current leadership to listen to him and anti-child-poverty organisations to scrap the Tory policy.

More than 87,000 children in Scotland are affected by the cap, the SNP said, echoing warnings that the policy is one of the biggest drivers of child poverty.

Lifting the measure would see 250,000 children across Britain escape poverty.

SNP MP Alison Thewliss said: “By refusing to scrap the Tory two-child cap, Sir Keir is making the political choice to follow in the Tories’ footsteps and consign thousands of families in Scotland to poverty.”

The party has also called Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to condemn Sir Keir’s latest U-turn on the £28 billion green pledge, warning that it would have “devastating consequences” for green investment and jobs across Scotland.

Labour’s flagship commitment promised to deliver £1bn to modernise Grangemouth, a share of £1.8bn for Tay and Moray ports and more than 50,000 new clean power jobs.

The scrapping of this policy proves that Labour have “absolutely no ambition” when it comes to Scotland’s green energy future, the SNP said.

SNP MSP Jackie Dunbar said: “In the global race to net zero, we need bold leadership to secure the vital Just Transition but that will deliver jobs and economic growth for Scotland.

“Sir Keir’s decision to scrap the £28bn green prosperity fund shows a complete lack of ambition — it’s frankly cowardly.”

The Federation of Master Builders is also the latest to criticise the U-turn, with chief executive Brian Berry calling the cut to retrofit 19 million homes to just five million “disappointing.”