Rash ford to keep up meal campaign

FOOD POVERTY: England football star Marcus Rashford vowed to keep campaigning to extend free school meals over the holidays after MPs voted against the measure.

The Manchester United player told politicians to “stop stigmatising, judging and pointing fingers” as he warned children will go to bed hungry.

ENGLAND FOOTBALL star Marcus Rashford vowed to keep campaigning to extend free school meals over the holidays after MPs voted against the measure.

The Manchester United player told politicians to “stop stigmatising, judging and pointing fingers” as he warned a “significant number” of children will go to bed hungry and “feeling like they do not matter” because of comments on Wednesday.

He called on people to “unite” to protect the most vulnerable children, adding: “For as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.”

Rashford released a statement after Labour’s motion, which called for the scheme to be extended over school holidays until Easter 2021, was defeated by 261 votes to 322 – majority 61.

Five Conservative MPs rebelled to support the motion, including Education Select Committee chairman Robert Halfon, but it was not enough.

The division list showed the other four were Caroline Ansell ( Eastbourne), Jason McCartney ( Colne Valley), Anne Marie Morris ( Newton Abbot) and Holly MumbyCroft ( Scunthorpe).

Downing Street ruled out performing a late U- turn ahead of the vote, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson telling MPs that support will continue for children on low incomes.

“We will continue to use the benefits system and all the systems of income to support children throughout the holidays as well,” he added.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden claimed the Government had not ignored Rashford on the issue.

In the Commons, several Conservative MPs argued against Labour’s proposal, with Brendan Clarke- Smith ( Bassetlaw) saying he did not believe in “nationalising children”.

He told the Commons: “Where is the slick PR campaign encouraging absent parents to take some responsibility for their children? I do not believe in nationalising children.”

Tory Minister Paul Scully said “children have been going hungry under a Labour government for years” and insisted the Government had been tackling the issue.

Reacting to the vote, Rashford said: “Put aside all the noise, the digs, the party politics and let’s focus on the reality.

“A significant number of children are going to bed tonight not only hungry but feeling like they do not matter because of comments that have been made today.”

Rashford added that child food poverty “has the potential to become the greatest pandemic the country has ever faced”.

For Labour, Shadow Education Secretary Kate Green said: “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives have badly let down more than one million children and their families.”

Don Valley Conservative MP Nick Fletcher voted against the motion, saying the Government had already provided an “extra £ 9.3bn” to those most in need. Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates also voted against. She said: “We need to take a wider view of what causes families to be in poverty and how to help them out of it.”

But Rotherham MP Sarah Champion and Barnsley East MP Dan Jarvis criticised the Government, Mr Jarvis said: “This is further proof that despite the Government’s rhetoric around ‘ levelling up’ their actions are serving to level down communities in Barnsley and across the North of England.”

Kevin Courtney, of the National Education Union, branded the result of the vote as “callous”.

For as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine. Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford.