Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Kids have been left not only hungry, but feeling like they do not matter
Rashford fury as meals plea defeated
of children eligible for free school meals live in Tier 3 and Tier 2 areas
Halfon, Jason Mccartney, Anne Marie Morris and Holly Mumby-croft
Mr Halfon said: “If we acknowledge that children risk going hungry in term time by providing them with free school meals... we know that they risk going hungry in the holidays too.”
But other Conservative MPS lined up to criticise the idea of feeding the 1.4million kids already eligible for free school meals and an estimated million more who have signed up since lockdown . Brendan Clarke-smith said parents needed to take responsibility, bizarrely adding: “I do not believe in nationalising children.”
David Simmonds sneered: “I have no doubt Mr Rashford is an expert in his own experience, but we should not forget the experiences he so movingly described took place under a Labour government.” Tory Minister Paul Scully sparked fury by saying the bid would not be backed as kids “have been going hungry for years”. When Tory MP Ben Bradley likened it to “extending freebies”, Rashford hit back: “The economy already pays a high price for child hunger. If children were fed properly you would increase educational attainment and boost life chances.” Labour analysis found that nearly 900,000 kids in Covid-19 hotspots will miss out on free school meals unless the scheme is extended. Some 61% of kids eligible for free meals live in Tier 2 and 3 areas, according to House of Commons Library figures.
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MARCUS Rashford said kids will go to bed “not only hungry but feeling like they do not matter” after the Tories snubbed his plea to give them free school meals over the holidays.
The England and Manchester United striker, who forced a U-turn on the issue in the summer, had urged Conservative MPS to back a motion tabled by Labour to feed our poorest children until Easter.
He told them: “This is not politics, this is humanity. Child food poverty has the potential to become the greatest pandemic the country has ever faced. We must start working together to protect our most vulnerable children.”
But the Commons bid was shamefully defeated with a majority of 61. Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green said: “No child should go hungry over the holidays but the Govern
TONE DEAF Paul Scully
ment is blocking the action needed to prevent this.”
Kevin Courtney of the National Education Union slammed the “callous” result, adding: “No MP who voted against this will be going hungry tonight. This isn’t right. No child should return to school after the half term too hungry to learn.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Tonight I voted to feed our country’s vulnerable and needy children. The Tories voted to let them go hungry. I voted for workers facing hardship in areas under lockdown to get 80% of their incomes. The Tories voted against it. That’s all you need to know.”
Five Tory MPS rebelled against the Government and backed Labour. They were
Caro lin e Ansel l , R o b er t
Child poverty has potential to become the greatest pandemic MARCUS RASHFORD IN HIS PLEA TO COMMONS