Boris Johnson has been facing a rebellion over the refusal to extend free school meals to all holidays after a campaign from Marcus Rashford
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that the prime minister had “been communicating” with Marcus Rashford, but pointed to already existing money, including £63m given to local councils in June, as a means to help those struggling during the COVID-19 crisis.
“We’ve put in a huge amount of extra investment to support people during this coronavirus pandemic,” Mr Hancock said.
“We put in an extra £20 a week into Universal Credit and we also put money directly into supporting people in these circumstances.”
This comes after a Tory MP, Caroline Ansell, has quit her role within the government after rebelling to support Marcus Rashford’s campaign extending free school meals over the coming school holidays.
The Health Secretary continued:
“I agree very strongly with the purpose of the campaign run by Marcus Rashford, I think we’re all inspired by the way that he’s led that campaign.”
“And the purpose is that no child should go hungry and that’s right. The question is how we then fulfil that.”
“There’s a need during this pandemic and at all times for the country to come together and to support people and that’s what we’re doing, putting that investment in.”
Dozens of empty plates with messages on were left outside the office of Sir David Amess on Sunday, one of 322 MPs who helped defeat last week’s vote on extending the scheme until Easter.
Organiser Sadie Hasler, 40, from Southend said:
“Quite a few of us are mothers in the group, the moment you start thinking too much about them ever being hungry, it’s just heartbreaking,”
Some Tories though are increasingly uneasy at the government’s refusal to budge, especially with the cost of extending the scheme to the current school break estimated at a modest £20m.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Liaison Committee of senior MPs, said: “We have to admit we’ve misunderstood the mood of the country here…”
“The public want to see the government taking a national lead on this, and I think the government will probably have to think again on that.”
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood told Times Radio he regretted voting on party lines and that free meals were a “practical vehicle” to help support families.
This comes after professional footballer Marcus Rashford has launched a new government petition calling for more of the UK’s children to be eligible for free school meals after successfully lobbying ministers earlier this year.
Tim Loughton, another former minister, said it had been a mistake not to extend the meals scheme past the summer holidays and that he was prepared to vote the other way if Labour forces another vote.
“Free school meals is just one of those totemic things – it is like the NHS, it can do no wrong,” he told BBC Radio 4.
“For all the hassle this has caused, taking away from the really good measures the government has taken across the board, I just don’t think it was worth the argument. I think it was just politically a mistake.”
