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Marcus Rashford’s petition for school meals nears 300,000 signatures, piling pressure on government
Well done Marcus!
Pressure is mounting on government to provide free school meals throughout school holidays in England due to Manchester United striker, Marcus Rashford’s campaign.
Campaigning for the government to tackle food poverty among children by extended the free school meals through the half-term and Christmas holidays, Marcus Rashford’s petition has now been signed by 296,000 people.
Labour is now writing to every backbench conservative MP to press home the issue. Robert Halfon, chair of the education committee and conservative MP plus some others, have also called for vouchers to be provided at half term.
Rashford successfully campaigned for the ‘Covid food fund’ causing the government to U-turn their decision during the spring lockdown. He is now campaigning for food stability for all children, including the 1.5 million children who are receiving no support.
The shadow children and early years minister, Tulip Siddiq, has sent a letter to each Tory MP to set out the number of children on free school meals in their consistency.
She wrote: Families across the country are worried about how to make ends meet but the prime minister is ruling out giving over a million children food support over the holidays.
“Every Conservative MP now has an opportunity to make it clear that they will support the families in their constituency who are worrying about how they will put food on the table in the weeks ahead.”
Labour has promised to use an opposition day debate in Commons on Wednesday to vote on the issue if ministers have not changed their minds.
The vote would force MPs to make a choice on extending the scheme or not.
Halfon said he does not support every aspect of Rashford’s current campaign but he wants to see ministers come up with a plan to eliminate child hunger.
He said: “What the government should have done is say: ‘We’ll sit down with you and we’ll set up a long-term plan to deal with child food poverty,’”
He added that part of the plan could be an expansion of breakfast clubs and holiday camps which provide meals alongside other activities. He also said that food vouchers for the poorest households should continue temporarily ‘while we’re in the middle of a pandemic and 32% of families have seen a drop in their income’.
Since the pandemic hit, a further 900,000 children have registered for free school meals, according to a survey carried out by Food Foundation thinktank.
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said on Monday that the Prime Minister’s view remains the same, that extra help for poorer pupils is not needed anymore.
They added: “We are making sure that the most vulnerable in our society are protected, and we have put in place a strong package of support to ensure children and their families don’t go hungry during this pandemic,”
“We are in a different position now, with schools back open to all, and the vast majority of pupils back in school. Free school meals have only ever been intended to support eligible pupils attending school during term-time. We think that it’s important these arrangements return.”
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Schools are working incredibly hard to help children catch up with lost learning amid the ongoing disruption caused by rising Covid infection rates, and the pupils who need the greatest degree of support are often those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“To then have a situation where they are potentially going hungry through holiday periods is very obviously detrimental to both their welfare and educational progress.”