LABOUR dismissed Nigel Farage’s bid for its core vote today, accusing him of ”fantasy promises” for saying he would remove the two-child benefit cap and pay for it by cutting asylum-seeker accommodation and net zero projects.

The anti-migrant right-wing leader also committed to fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts announced by Labour.

The two-child benefit limit was first announced in 2015 by the Tories and came into effect in 2017, restricting child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households.

Ministers have recently suggested that lifting the cap is not off the table, while Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said last week that he wanted to review eligibility for the winter fuel payments, worth up to £300.

Mr Farage announced the promises at a press conference in London, saying measures were “aimed at British families.”

“That is why we believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do,” he said.

“Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers, this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them.”

Mr Farage claimed the welfare spending would be funded by cutting what he called “wasteful” government spending, including net zero policies, which he estimated cost £45 billion annually, £4bn a year on asylum-seeker accommodation, and £7bn on diversity and equality programmes (DEIS).

He also proposed slashing spending on quangos by 5 per cent, which he said would save £65bn over five years.

In total, Mr Farage said Reform’s “optimistic” plans could save £350bn.

He said: “We can’t afford net zero, it’s destroying the country, we can’t afford DEIS, it’s actually preventing many talented people from succeeding, we certainly can’t afford young undocumented males crossing the English Channel and living in five-star hotels with three square meals a day and free dental and health care.”

Labour chairwoman Ellie Reeves said there was “nothing new” in Mr Farage’s claims, adding: “The tens of billions of pounds of fantasy promises he made this morning are exactly how Liz Truss crashed the economy, devastating the finances of families across the country.

“Those families don’t need to be told what the consequences would be of this nonsense.

“They live through it every month through the higher mortgages, higher rents, higher prices, and higher bills inflicted upon them by the last government."

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay called it “absurd that [Mr Farage is] trying to rebrand himself as someone who cares about working families.”

He said: “Nigel has never lifted a finger to help working people — and he’s not going to start now. 

“He calls himself a patriot, but he’s the very opposite. Real patriotism is about looking after one another, not turning people against each other for political gain.

“Net zero, done right, is our best shot at building a resilient economy, lowering bills for families, and preventing climate catastrophe.”

Mr Ramsay said the Reform leader “isn’t fighting for working people, he’s fighting for the fossil-fuel lobby and attacking net zero is exactly what they want.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said Mr Farage is “a political fraud who’ll jump on any bandwagon to chase headlines.”

Mr Nowak said: “He is full of empty promises, writing cheques he knows will never be cashed. 

“Because when it really counts, Farage always sides with the rich and powerful against working people.”

He highlighted Mr Farage’s track record on hurting workers’ rights and his “cheerleading” for US President Donald Trump.

“And who bankrolls Farage? Hedge fund managers and speculators — the same people profiting from economic chaos,” Mr Nowak said.

“He pretends to be anti-establishment, but in reality he’s as establishment as they come.”

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said it is “easy to announce policies to appeal to voters, but far harder to work out how to fund them.

“Working people and their families want good public services, a decent standard of living and to be treated well at work,” she said.

“Previous governments starved vital services of cash, trashed the economy and did nothing to crack down on unscrupulous employers. That’s why getting the UK back on track won’t happen overnight.”

Ms McAnea urged voters to be “wary of politicians promising the Earth and trying to be all things to all people,” adding: “A party that wants to stop the NHS from being free at the point of delivery is certainly not to be trusted.

“One that’s voted consistently against modest measures to improve working conditions and threatened to sack council workers at the earliest opportunity.

“Reform has shown by its words and actions that the party’s no friend of working people.”

Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have been under pressure to axe the two-child benefit cap, but the government has so far stopped short of making a firm commitment.

The government’s long-awaited child poverty strategy — originally due in spring — will now be released in the autumn to align with the Chancellor’s budget.

Asked if Labour would remove the cap, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who co-leads the government’s child poverty task force, told BBC Breakfast: “We’re certainly looking at it as part of the task force.

“As I say, nothing’s off the table, but this is not straightforward, the costs are high.”