INVERCLYDE’S newly elected MP has been accused of turning his back on local families after voting against an amendment calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped.

An SNP amendment to the King’s Speech which called for the cap’s removal was defeated in the House of Commons on Tuesday night by 363 votes to 103, with Inverclyde’s Westminster representative Martin McCluskey among those who voted against it.

The MP’s decision has drawn fierce criticism from a number of Inverclyde politicians, including Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan, who claimed the Labour man’s decision would ‘shock’ local voters.

In response, Mr McCluskey questioned why the Scottish Government has not taken action to remove the cap and said tackling child poverty would be a ‘central part’ of Labour’s mission in government.

Mr McMillan said: “It was bad enough that removing the two-child cap was absent from the King’s Speech – but for Sir Keir Starmer to then whip his MPs to vote against an amendment calling for the policy to be scrapped, shows just how hollow Labour’s promises of ‘change’ really were.

“The two-child cap may have been introduced by the Tories, but make no mistake, Labour now owns this policy.

“Voting in favour of keeping the callous two-child cap by 363 votes is evidence of their priorities.

“Martin McCluskey MP has also immediately turned his back on local families by voting along party lines – but this isn’t surprising given he has been appointed assistant government whip.

“This means his role within the Government is to ensure his Labour colleagues voted against this amendment, which will shock local voters.

“I have organised cost of living surgeries alongside former MP Ronnie Cowan to help local households deal with the cost-of-living crisis.

“I will be doing more of these events as sadly, decisions like this from Labour will only make life harder for people. So much for change.”

In a letter penned to the Greenock Telegraph, former Gourock councillor and Alba Party General Secretary Chris McEleny also took aim at the Labour MP’s decision to vote against the amendment.

He wrote: “Labour campaigned saying they would bring change to our community.

“Labour’s Jackie Baillie has campaigned to have the two-child benefit cap scrapped for years, calling on the former Tory Government to scrap it and/or the SNP Government in Edinburgh to find the cash to mitigate it - which they should in the same way Alex Salmond mitigated the bedroom tax in Scotland.

“It seems a no brainer then. When it was time to vote to scrap the UK Government’s two child benefit cap, a policy that impacts over 1000 children in Inverclyde, one that ‘Scottish Labour’ say they oppose and when the Tories were in government Labour called abhorrent, surely then our new Scottish Labour MP Martin McCluskey voted to scrap the policy and lift 1000 children in Inverclyde out of poverty?

“No. Martin McCluskey MP, marched through the lobbies to vote with the new Labour government, and the Tories, to keep the child benefit cap in place.

“The Tory two child benefit cap is now the Labour two child benefit cap. I can’t be the only one outraged at that.”

“Too many children in our area are living in poverty. It is an outrage and the legacy of the Tory government.

When asked for comment on his decision by the Telegraph, Mr McCluskey highlighted work his party was doing to address child poverty and challenged the Scottish Government to explain why they had not lifted the cap themselves.

He said: “Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Labour Government.

“It is a central part of delivering the Government’s Mission to create and spread opportunity for every child and young person in our country. Living in poverty scars children’s lives and their future prospects.

“This is why we are committed to reducing child poverty and reversing the trend under the previous government that saw child poverty rise with 700,000 more children living in poverty.

“Over four million children are now growing up in a low-income family.

“We recognise the size of the task ahead and that is why we have announced our child poverty taskforce.

“The taskforce will look at all options for reducing child poverty and, importantly, how we will fund them.

“I was very clear with people during the election that we wouldn’t make any additional commitments before we know how we can fund them and we wouldn’t be able to do everything on day one.

“Making spending commitments without knowing how you are going to pay for them is deeply irresponsible.

“When the previous Government made unfunded commitments, we saw how that ended - with the economy sunk and everyone worse off.”

Mr McCluskey stated that the government King’s Speech contained ‘many measures’ which would help lift people out of poverty, such as its new deal for working people and a review of universal credit.

He added: “There will also be additional funding provided to the Scottish Government as a result of measures that are being put in place over the coming months.

“The Scottish Government has the power to remove the cap under their welfare powers from the Scotland Act 2016.

“Stuart McMillan and the SNP should explain why they are not willing to do this.”