Free school meals: Marcus Rashford disputes minister's claim he's in contact with Boris Johnson
The Manchester United footballer wants meals to be provided for children during all school holidays.
Monday 26 October 2020 12:17, UK
Marcus Rashford has disputed government claims he has been in contact with the prime minister over his new campaign to provide meals for children during school holidays.
Nearly 900,000 people have signed a petition, created this month by the Manchester United footballer, to expand access to free school meals and also provide meals during all holidays for those in need.
However, despite pressure from among their own Conservative MPs, government ministers are so far refusing to once again U-turn on the issue, as they did prior to the summer holidays when they provided meal vouchers to around 1.3million children in England.
Asked by Sky News on Monday whether Boris Johnson should meet with Rashford over the issue, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "I know that they've been communicating."
However, the footballer soon queried the claim that he had spoken to the prime minister.
"Hmm, unless he's referring to the call we had following the u-turn in June?...," Rashford posted on Twitter.
Downing Street sources confimed Mr Johnson and Rashford spoke in the summer.
The footballer's newest food poverty campaign came ahead of this week's half-term holiday and follows him being awarded with an MBE earlier this month.
A number of senior Tories have criticised the government's stance, with one suggesting Number 10 has "misunderstood" the mood of the nation.
Councils including Birmingham and Liverpool are among those who have responded to Rashford's campaign by providing tens of thousands of children with food parcels and vouchers this half term.
Some small businesses and organisations around the country have also stepped up to help.
Mr Hancock told Sky News he agreed "very strongly" with the purpose of Rashford's campaing, 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.
"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."
Conservative MPs have faced anger from some of their constituents over the issue in recent days.
Dozens of empty plates with messages on were left outside the office of Sir David Amess on Sunday - one of 322 Tory MPs who helped defeat last week's Labour call for free school meals to be provided during holidays until Easter.
"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," said organiser Sadie Hasler, 40, from Southend.
Some Tories are increasingly uneasy at the government's refusal to budge, with the cost of extending the scheme to the current school break estimated at £20m.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Liaison Committee of senior MPs, told Sky's Sophy Ridge: "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.
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."
The children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, likened the situation to a Charles Dickens' novel.
"To have a debate about whether we should make sure that hungry and vulnerable children have enough to eat is something that is strikingly similar to something we'd expect to see in chapters of Oliver Twist - a novel published in the 19th century," she told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.
Cabinet minister Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland Secretary, hinted at a compromise before the Christmas holidays despite the lack of fresh action now.
"What we are looking to do is ensure that we deal with child poverty at the core, putting the structure in place that means even in school holidays children can get access to the food that they need," he told Sky News.
As well as his push for provision during all holiday, Rashford - who benefited from free meals himself - wants the scheme to cover all under-16s in families in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent welfare.