LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer on Tuesday defended his pledge to keep a controversial limit on welfare support payments for children if his party wins a general election expected next year.
Starmer, whose party enjoys a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in opinion polls, is trying to convince voters that Labour would not be reckless with government money.
The Conservatives have accused Labour of being reckless with public money and Starmer's comments are seen as an attempt to avoid that criticism.
Starmer, at the event in London organised by former prime minister Tony Blair, said the economic turmoil during last year's brief premiership of Liz Truss underlined the need for careful spending.
Truss was forced to resigned after six weeks as prime minister after announcing a series of unfunded tax cuts that shattered Britain's reputation for financial stability.
Persons:
Keir Starmer, Starmer, Tony Blair, Liz Truss, Truss, Andrew MacAskill, William James Our
Organizations:
Labour Party, Labour, Conservative Party, Poverty, Thomson
Locations:
London