A key issue in Labour's 2024 general election campaign was the conflict between the moral imperative to end child poverty and the party's stringent fiscal rules. The debate over whether Starmer's new government will end the two-child limit in Universal Credit is already a live issue during his first period as Prime Minister. Carey Oppenheim, now an independent consultant on early years policy and adviser to the Nuffield Foundation, was Special Advisor to Tony Blair in the Number 10 Policy Unit from 2000 to 2005, working on employment policy, social security, childcare and poverty. She joins Michael and Mems to discuss New Labour's pledge to eradicate poverty, the Sure Start initiative, the challenges of building institutions that last beyond particular governments, reimagining social security, and the legacy of the minimum wage. Lessons in Power is a SPERI Presents... podcast. Professor Michael Jacobs and Mems Ayinla interview ministers and advisors from the New Labour administration (1997-2010) to tease out lessons on a range of issues for Keir Starmer’s newly formed Labour government. This episode is produced by the SPERI Presents… working group, including Remi Edwards, Chris Saltmarsh, Frank Maracchione, Emma Mahoney, Dillon Wamsley, Andrew Hindmoor, Mems Ayinla and Michael Jacobs. This episode was edited by Remi Edwards, Michael Jacobs and Chris Saltmarsh. Music and audio by Andy_Gambino. Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash. Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.