Sunday Mail (UK)

Our Robbo can do a Rashford & shame Nats

- BY JOHN FERGUSON POLITICAL EDITOR

It shouldn’t take a high-profile le footballer’s interventi­on to force a government to do the e right thing.

But, then again, we have seen this before.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford shamed the Tories to give free school l meals to children during Covid. Now Andy Robertson n is taking the fight to the Scottish Government to ensure every pupil – including those in secondary school – get a meal.

Like his English Premiershi­p rival, Andy isn’t paying lip service to a worthy cause.

The father-of-two supports six food banks – five in Glasgow and one in

Liverpool – and feeds each and every child at his charity football camps.

Offering a meal to all primary and secondary pupils could be delivered at a relatively low cost.

And it would provide a lifeline for thousands of young people who would have a better chance of a prosperous future as a result.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accepts that food poverty exists, hence her commendabl­e commitment to provide free meals from primary 1 to 5 children. So, why should that vital support be cut off from secondary pupils at one of the most important developmen­tal periods of their life?

SNP and Green MSPs joined forces to thwart an amendment to the Good Food Nation Bill, which would have delivered this policy in June.

But stand-in Finance Minister John Swinney could right that shameful wrong at any time.

Both he and Sturgeon know that our young people are the key to a more prosperous and happy Scotland.

At a time when families are suffering unbearable financial pressure, the Scottish Government could spend our money wisely and secure a lasting legacy that ensures no child should go hungry in 2022.

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