Tory councillors call for free meals for kids in holidays
GOVERNMENT’S VOTING WAS ‘DISAPPOINTING’ AMID CRISIS
THREE Conservative councillors have called on the East Riding to put on free school meals for vulnerable children after MPS voted down a motion calling for it nationally.
Cllrs Paul Nickerson, Kerri Harold and David Elvidge, all Conservative members for Beverley’s Minster and Woodmansey ward, wrote to the council’s children’s lead Eoin Rush “urgently” asking for the meals.
They added in their email, sent on Friday, the need was “critical” given the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic which has seen food bank use spike across the East Riding.
A spokesperson for East Riding Council said they currently had no plans to offer meals this week, but were keeping the situation under review.
MPS voted 322 to 261 against a Labour motion calling for meals for 1.4m eligible children in England over half term and Christmas, including 6,740 in the East Riding.
Cllr Nickerson said although the council typically does a “very good job” of supporting vulnerable children it now needed to step in after the vote.
He added his party’s decision to vote Labour’s motion down was an “own goal”.
Cllr Nickerson said: “In normal times we’re satisfied with the job the council and its team do making sure vulnerable families get help before they reach a crisis. But these aren’t normal times, we were reassured previously when the Government agreed to step in, but now this isn’t going to happen the onus is on us to help. The council is the body that could put this on in such a short period of time.
“As councillors, we’ve heard food bank use has gone up, particular in my ward in Beverley where it’s gone up by 121 per cent in recent months and it’s continued after lockdown was eased.
“A high proportion of those using them are families and young people, that’s why we think the council needs to act.
“We feel that with council help we felt disadvantaged residents in our ward and others were just about managing, but with the meals not happening over the holidays child food poverty has the potential to get out of hand.”
The councillor said Conservative MPS needed to remember “who put them there” after Wednesday’s vote.
Cllr Nickerson said: “I’m disappointed about the way the vote went, while I recognise that its invested £9bn in social services and has increased universal credit by £20 a week, it’s an own goal.
“It’s true that parents should be responsible for their own children, but children don’t choose their parents.
“There does need to be a debate about how we help parents look after their children.
“The Conservatives need to remember who put them there, they need to remember who gave them an 80 seat majority at the last election.
“It’s them who are going to be affected by this, and their children are hungry now.”
Cllr David Nolan, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition in the East Riding, said he would support the council providing meals, but added it was the government who should have stepped in.
Cllr Nolan said: “It’s important children get fed, but I’m disappointed in the Government.
“They found billions for restaurants to fund Eat Out To Help Out, but now they won’t put food on children’s plates.
“While I would back the council doing this, it really needs to be the Government.” the coronavirus