West Yorkshire mayor says too many families are ‘working poor’

The mayor of West Yorkshire says ending the two-child benefit cap will help families who have jobs but are still struggling to make ends meet.

Labour's Tracey Brabin answered questions on BBC Radio Leeds' Message to the Mayor programme.

She also spoke about when Leeds White Rose station will resume, her recent trip to Brazil and taxation for tourists visiting Yorkshire.

Read our takeaways from the interview below or listen to the full interview. Here.

“In different circumstances you can have three children, but the fact that you have three means you are poorer as a family – it is absolutely disgraceful.

“In some communities in West Yorkshire, 50% of children live in poverty. How are they going to take advantage of the opportunities that arise as we grow the economy if their start in life is so difficult?”

In last week's Budget, the Chancellor scrapped the rule that parents could only claim Universal Credit or tax credits for their first two children.

“I think this budget is actually quite revolutionary. He gave mayors powers.

“Andy Burnham [Mayor of Greater Manchester] Last week I talked about how Greater Manchester is growing above the national average and ahead of London. Who was second? West Yorkshire.”

More parts of England will be given “integrated” settlements under the Budget – meaning all their government funding will go into one big pot and mayors will decide how to spend it.

Brabin was asked about new powers to introduce a modest charge for overnight visitors.

“I think it's fair that people pay a small amount of money when they come.

“And then that money will be invested in major events or infrastructure support, such as improving buses.

“If you look at York and North Yorkshire, it's tens of millions of pounds for Mayor David Skate that he could spend on transport, but 73 million people visited West Yorkshire last year.

“We have real jewels in the crown of Ilkley, Shipley and Haworth, so a little money will make life better for everyone.”

“I'm desperately trying to figure this out. I know the longer it stays closed, the more it will cost us.

“This agreement was made before I became mayor, and frankly, we will never do it the same way again.”

Work on White Rose station in Leeds stopped in 2024. This is a project jointly funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority and private company Munroe K.

The mayor hopes contractors will return in 2026, but says he can't make any promises.

Brabin was criticized on social media for traveling to the climate summit in Brazil, which took place ahead of the COP30 conference.

“I was invited [former New York Mayor Michael] Bloomberg with other mayors from around the world to discuss what mayors can do to address the climate emergency.”

The mayor says it was a “real opportunity” to help create jobs in the climate economy, which she says is worth £8 billion to the region.