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Rachel Reeves’ second Budget had Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s fingerprints all over it. His party had for over a year taken a different position to UK Labour on the two child benefit cap . ‌

Sarwar wanted it gone while Prime Minister Keir Starmer hedged his bets before and after the election. Eventual abolition was testament to the lobbying efforts of the Scottish Labour leader and his team . ‌

A senior source said Sarwar lobbied Starmer and Reeves “dozens of times” on the cap as part of a “personal campaign”. The insider said: “We pushed them all the way." ‌

The Glasgow MSP also lobbied the UK Government hard on cutting energy bills - his number one priority in the Budget. Sarwar believed that the bill rises since the election were politically toxic and

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