RASHFORD’S REVOLUTION
After Tories snub call to extend scheme, footballer wins support from 100 councils and restaurants... with ONE MILLION free meals from McDonald’s
AN extraordinary coalition of restaurants, councils and businesses yesterday threw their weight behind Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign after it was blocked by the Government.
In a major embarrassment to Boris Johnson, hundreds of organisations stepped forward in solidarity with the England and Manchester United striker in his battle to extend the scheme through half-term.
Food outlets, ranging from McDonald’s to local cafes, and councils across the political spectrum volunteered to provide the meals and funding to feed struggling families next week.
They were joined by churches, charities, farms and sports clubs – while taxi firms offered free rides to food banks.
The outpouring of support on the 22year- old star’s Twitter account came after the majority of Tory MPs refused to vote for a Labour motion, backed by the footballer, offering free school meals in the holidays until Easter next year.
It was defeated by 322 to 261 votes and
‘No child should go hungry this winter’
prompted Conservative MP Caroline Ansell to quit her Government role, saying she ‘could not in all conscience’ vote against a scheme that would have helped families in her Eastbourne constituency.
Rashford, who grew up eating free school meals and was given an MBE for his services to vulnerable children this month, forced a U-turn on the issue earlier this year.
Vouchers were provided to low income families during the Easter and summer breaks. But the Government says the ‘situation is now different’ with children back in lessons and has refused to extend the scheme over half-term, which starts today for many schools.
Yesterday Downing Street refused three times to praise businesses backing Rashford’s campaign.
Asked if the Prime Minister welcomed the move, his deputy official spokesman said: ‘We have set out our position a number of times. There is no change.
‘The PM said during Prime Minister’s Questions that free school meals will continue during term time and he wants to continue to support families throughout the crisis so they have cash available to feed kids as they need to.’
The Government says other means of financial support have been made available, including £9billion through the benefits system. Some Tories criticised Rashford’s campaign, with Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith calling for less ‘ celebrity virtue signalling on Twitter’.
However, Rashford has urged politicians to put aside party allegiances. Since it was launched last week, more than 480,000 people have signed his petition. And yesterday more than 200 children’s authors and illustrators – including children’s laureate Cressida Cowell and Philip Pullman – also came out in support of his campaign.
In an open letter they said ‘no child in this nation should go hungry this winter’ or have to rely on ‘pot luck charity’.
Scores of English councils, including Tory-run local authorities in parts of London, have set up voucher schemes to subsidise food supplies for hundreds of thousands of struggling families over half-term.
Conservative mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, said there ought to be a ‘national approach’ and it should not be left up to local councils to decide whether or not to plug the gap.
Asked if the Government should have to fund half-term meals, he said: ‘I think at the last minute you probably do have to fund it, is the answer to that.’ Meanwhile, McDonald’s announced it would be providing one million free dinners, in partnership with food distribution charity FareShare, of which Rashford is an ambassador. Other corporations pledging support are Iceland, Aldi, Tesco, Waitrose, Co-op and Kellogg’s.
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson announced that she was supporting a fundraiser set up by comedian Katy Brand.
Rashford, who was pictured with his mother Melanie Maynard helping out at a Manchester food bank on Thursday, tweeted: ‘Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know.’
He added last night: ‘The superstars of this nation lie in local communities. Even after taking the biggest hits you have wrapped your arms around your community to catch children as they fell. I really can’t thank you enough.’
In a sign of the feeling against the Government, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been barred for life from a pub in his constituency. Mr Sunak and three other northern Tory MPs have been told to never enter The Mill gastropub and restaurant Il Mulino in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, for voting against the measure.
Around 1.3million children, or 15 per cent of state- educated pupils, claimed free meals in 2019. Analysis by the Food Foundation estimates a further 900,000 in England may have sought them since the start of the pandemic.
England is now the only UK nation not to provide free meals or vouchers over the school holidays, after Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland committed to extending the scheme.
‘This is the England I know’