The Labour government has come under fresh pressure to abolish the two-child benefit limit after latest official figures showed a record 1.6 million children were living in families affected by the controversial policy. Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall said child poverty was a “stain” on the country, but the party has no plans to change the policy. Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrats work and pensions spokesperson, described the two-child benefit cap as “cruel and counter-productive”, and said her party would continue to campaign to have it scrapped Environment secretary Steve Reed has said that the party understands why people have been calling for it to scrap the two-child benefit cap, but insisted it needed to maintain “strict spending controls” and begin to generate economic growth before it could commit to doing “other things that we want to achieve for this country” that were not costed in the election manifesto. Poverty campaigners in Scotland added to the demands after figures showed 26,000 families were affected there by the UK government policy Reed met with privatised water companies in England and Wales today and said they were “signed up” to the Labour government’s “initial package of reforms” for the sector. He said “Firm action should have been taken much earlier to ensure money was spent on fixing the sewerage system, not syphoned off for bonuses and dividends” Wes Streeting has ordered an independent investigation into the performance of the NHS as figures showed the waiting list for treatment in England had risen for a second month in a row. The health secretary said he wanted the review to reveal the “hard truths” about a service that he described as having been “wrecked”. It will be led by Prof Lord Darzi, previously a health minister for Gordon Brown The Labour government is grappling with a legal dilemma over its plan to impose an immediate ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration before the industry’s latest licensing round closes. The government was forced to deny reports that the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, had defied his own officials by ordering an immediate ban on new licences, including those still being considered by the regulator. A spokesperson said the report, published in the Daily Telegraph, was a “complete fabrication” which “invents meetings and decisions that have not taken place” The number of registered childcare providers in England has fallen over the past year, figures from Ofsted suggest. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has pledged to deliver a “sea change” in early years provision, and said the new Labour government would recruit more early years staff through a “re-energised” recruitment campaign Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she thinks the public would welcome a cut in interest rates from the Bank of England. She said “The Bank of England is rightly independent … But of course, I know that many people who have been struggling with higher mortgage rates after the Conservatives’ mini-budget just under two years ago would welcome some relief with lower mortgage costs” Former Reform UK deputy leader Ben Habib has reacted badly to being replaced in the role by Richard Tice. Habib said on social media that “I have long held concerns about the control of the party and the decision-making processes” ScotRail workers and staff on the Caledonian Sleeper are being balloted for strike action in the wake of a pay offer union leaders have said is “derisory” King Charles visited the Senedd as part of celebrations of 25 years of Welsh devolution Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called for a bank holiday to celebrate if England win Euro 2024 on Sunday. Prime minister Keir Starmer is still in the US for the Nato summit, but confirmed he would be going to Berlin for the match, and said “I don’t want to jinx anything but we must mark it in some way” The UK has elected its most openly non-religious House of Commons in history, with about 40% of MPs choosing to take the secular affirmation instead of a religious oath to God during their swearing-in ceremony, according to Humanists UK Thank you very much for all your comments today. I’m calling that a wrap. I will see you tomorrow.