Article for LabourList by Elliot Chappell
Labour has called on backbench Tory MPs to defy Boris Johnson’s
government and vote with Labour to support the extension of free
school meals over the holidays including the October half-term
break just days away.
The opposition party has tabled a motion on this issue and it has
now been confirmed that on Wednesday there will be a vote in the
House of Commons, with leading the debate for Labour.
In a letter sent to Tory MPs ahead of the vote, shadow minister
Tulip Siddiq has called for their support on a proposal that
would provide meals to over 1.4 million children in every school
holiday until Easter 2021.
The shadow minister for children and early years described the
measure as an “important means of support for families across
your constituency” and warned that in a vote “you and your
colleagues will have to take a clear stance on this issue”.
Commenting today, Siddiq said: “Families across the country are
worrying 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.”
The call from the shadow minister comes after the Welsh Labour government
announced that it would spend £11m to make sure free school
meals are provided during every school holidays up to and
including the Easter break in 2021.
The UK government is under pressure to extend the same support to
children in England, but the spokesperson for the Prime Minister
has rejected the idea and said it is not the role of schools to
provide food to children outside of term.
Footballer Marcus Rashford, whose campaign forced Johnson into a
U-turn on school meals over the summer, has welcomed the
announcement by the Welsh government to protect “the most
vulnerable children across the country”.
More than 200,000
children in England had to skip meals because their family
could not access sufficient food during the coronavirus lockdown,
and 2.4 million children are living in food insecure households.
The Trussell
Trust has forecast that there will be a 61% increase in food
parcels needed between October and December, and warned that
extreme poverty England could double by Christmas.
Below is the full text of the letter sent by
Siddiq.
Children across your constituency are eligible for free school
meals, and this number will increase as unemployment rises. Many
of these children are growing up in very difficult circumstances
– in families with low incomes at a time when jobs across the
country are at risk.
Parents were more likely than other working people to be
furloughed, and as the Job Retention Scheme ends this month ahead
and is replaced by the inadequate job support scheme, many more
families could see their incomes fall sharply. I am sure you
would agree that we must do everything we can to support children
growing with these unprecedented challenges.
That is why Labour have called for all children who are eligible
for free school meals to receive them in every school holiday
until next Easter, starting with the October half term, which is
now just days away. This would provide additional support to
families on low incomes and help to ensure that all parents can
put food on the table for their children, whatever their
circumstances. This policy would support the many families in
your constituency who are struggling to make ends meet.
I was deeply disappointed that the Prime Minister’s spokesperson
rejected this proposal out of hand last week, saying that it is
not the role of schools to provide food in the holidays. This
shows a shocking ignorance about the role schools have always
played in supporting pupils and their families, and it is not a
good excuse for failing to provide any free school meals support
over the holidays. It is absurd for a government that rightly
extended free school meals over the summer to argue that schools
should not be supported to do this just because the Prime
Minister and Chancellor no longer want to foot the bill.
I believe that it is essential that the government changes course
as a matter of urgency so that children do not have to go without
food over the holidays. I am sure you recognise that free school
meals are an important means of support for families across your
constituency, many of whom will be worrying about how they put
food on the table over the half-term and Christmas holidays.
Labour have said that if the government does not urgently U-turn,
we will force a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday – this
will mean that you and your colleagues will have to take a clear
stance on this issue. I hope that you will join me in calling for
the extension of free school meals during the holidays, and that
you will vote for it this week if that proves to be necessary.
I look forward to your urgent reply, which I’m sure will be of
interest to your constituents.
Best wishes,
Shadow minister for children and early years
