Labour will fail in government if it does not reduce inequality, says new MP

Torsten Bell’s comments come as Labour reels from rebellion over two-child benefit cap

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One of Labour’s rising stars has said the party will have failed in government if it does not reduce inequality, even as the prime minister faces a bitter internal battle over a key poverty-reduction measure.

Torsten Bell, the former head of the Resolution Foundation turned Labour MP, said Britain’s longstanding economic problems cannot be solved by economic growth alone.