THE furore caused by Keir Starmer’s cowardly U-turn on scrapping the two-child limit on Universal Credit and tax credits is shaping up to be a key issue in the next election.

In his wildest dreams, Boris Johnson could never have imagined that Starmer would so fully embrace and embody the accusations of “flip-flopping” that the former prime minister often threw at him.

Politics is all about priorities. In refusing to commit to reversing the Tories’ inhumane assault on low-income families, Starmer has signalled that reducing child poverty is way down his priority list.

At the end of last week, the First Minister hit out at Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, saying he had been “posted missing” during the controversy surrounding Starmer’s decision.

“People across Scotland are struggling with the cost of living right now and they deserve to know that politicians will do everything they can to help them through tough times,’’ Humza Yousaf said.

“I can understand why he is desperate to avoid scrutiny, but he must be up front with the people of Scotland and explain why his party is committing to retain a policy that will keep up to 20,000 children in poverty.

“It has long been known that Labour in Scotland are just a branch office of the Westminster party – but never before has their powerlessness been so apparent, or on such an important issue.’’

The Scottish Labour leader has been the main beneficiary of the SNP’s recent troubles. A Sunday Times poll last month suggested his party could win more seats than the SNP at the next General Election.

There is undeniable strategic benefit in flying under the radar when your main opponents are in turmoil. Nobody has heard much from Sarwar during this time, beyond a few solemn on-camera statements and soundbites about why Scotland needs a change of direction.

It’s not hard to play the role of the statesman when all that’s required of you is to provide commentary on how bad the other guys are.

But that doesn’t quite cut it during an election campaign.

Scottish Labour seem to believe that a few carefully crafted, statements that put distance between their own policy and that of the head office will be enough to persuade voters their intentions – if not their actions – at least are good.

On the two-child cap, Sarwar insists Scottish Labour policy “has not changed”. He says his party “continues to oppose the two-child limit” and it “continue to believe that it needs to change”.

I’m sure the 1.5 million children across the UK who have been affected by the cap will find it immensely reassuring that Scottish Labour “believe” the policy that they will co-sign under a UK Labour government isn’t the right one. Fear not, hungry children, Sarwar has pledged to “press” an incoming UK Labour government to “move as fast as it can within our fiscal rules to remove this heinous policy’’.

Do you know what would be better than simply promising to press – nudge, gently persuade – your colleagues into reversing a policy that has been described as “poverty producing’’ by child poverty experts? Pledging that Scottish Labour MPs would use their votes in the House of Commons to force a change of direction.

Starmer has promised a review of Universal Credit if he becomes prime minister. Any policy changes that are brought forward as a result of it will be put to the House for its approval.

If, as projected, Scottish Labour win a chunk of seats at the next election, that should – in theory, at least – give them leverage.

Eurosceptic backbenchers maximised their influence during the Brexit process by voting as a block.

If Scottish Labour’s opposition to the two-child cap is more than just political posturing then they should use any power that is given to them by voters to change it.

And if their goal truly is to change Starmer’s mind, then why not put pressure on him now and announce their intentions before the Labour manifesto for the General Election is even finalised?

Despite his party’s improved poll ratings, Sarwar is in for a tough time during the campaign. He can’t go to voters with a prospectus that is wildly different from UK Labour’s – not least because he has no power to unilaterally implement anything the boss doesn’t agree with.

Either he signs up to the Tory-lite vision of the future that Starmer looks increasingly keen on, or he veers off in entirely different direction, with a pretendy manifesto full of pledges that will never see the light of day.

The cost of living crisis is exacerbating existing widespread hardship and inequality across the UK. Under the Conservatives, low-income households have been pushed to breaking point.

If Scottish Labour can’t offer struggling voters anything beyond murmured words of sympathy, then they may find their recent showing in the polls proves to be as temporary as a policy commitment from Starmer.