Decades-old racism is returning to British politics, and “it makes people feel very scared,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.

He accused Reform UK of overseeing a resurgence of “racist and divisive politics that frankly I thought we had dealt with decades ago.”

Speaking on the ITV Lorraine show with presenter Amir Khan, the prime minister said his government is engaged in a “fight for the soul of our country”, defining a stark choice between Labour’s vision of “patriotic national renewal” and what he called the “toxic division” of hard-right politics.

Asked whether his government would remove the two-child benefit cap, which charities say is the biggest driver of child poverty in the UK, Starmer said he was “personally committed to driving down child poverty”.

He told viewers he would not be promising change if that commitment were not backed by action.

In a clear signal of major reform ahead of the budget later this month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves similarly said “a child should not be penalised because their parents don’t have very much money.”

Starmer cited recent increases in racist incidents, particularly those facing staff in the National Health Service, to underscore a wider shift in the political climate.

“Some of the rhetoric we’re hearing – racist rhetoric, divisive rhetoric – that I thought we had dealt with decades ago is returning, and it makes people feel very scared,” he said.

He added: “We have to stand up to that racism, that division, and proudly say that to be British is to care about others, to be reasonable, tolerant and compassionate.”

The prime minister contrasted this approach with Reform UK’s proposed policies, particularly their plan to remove settled-status rights for many migrants.

Starmer described the policy as a “moral line” that had been crossed and emphasised that while concerns about illegal migration are legitimate, they must not be used to justify hatred or exclusion.

He said: “If you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern: it’s criminal.”

With child-poverty reform and border policy both on the agenda, the interview marked a moment of intensifying stakes in British politics, as the Labour government seeks to frame its agenda around national renewal, cohesion and economic fairness while confronting the rising influence of the hard right.