Tories pledge to remove £100,000 childcare 'cliff edge'

The Conservative Party has pledged to remove what it describes as a £100,000 childcare cliff edge, with leader Kemi Badenoch telling the BBC she wants to ensure people who work harder are not penalised for doing so.

Under the current system, families lose access to certain childcare support once a parent's income crosses the £100,000 threshold, creating what critics have called a cliff edge that can leave some households worse off despite earning more. Badenoch's comments to the BBC frame the planned change as a matter of fairness for higher earners.

The BBC's report did not specify, in the excerpt available, the full details of how the Conservatives propose to restructure the threshold or what it would cost the public purse to implement. Childcare policy has remained a contested area of British politics, with successive governments adjusting support schemes in recent years.

Badenoch's remarks come as the Conservative Party continues to set out its policy platform under her leadership, with childcare affordability remaining a prominent issue for many working families in the UK.