Politics must not end up harming children

MP Bridget Phillipson has explained why she didn’t vote in the House of Commons for an extension to the free school meals … she needn’t have bothered.

Despite the groundswell of support for this quick fix to the growing issue of children going hungry during the pandemic, it was a done-deal with the Tory Government. England and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford was championing the move, but even another two football teams of Bridget Phillipsons would not have won the day. The motion to extend the free school meals scheme over school holidays until Easter next year was defeated by 261 votes to 322.

We know on which side of the fence the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South stands on this issue.

She will undoubtedly side with the thoughts of Alison Garnham who, after the defeat in the House of Commons, said Britain had “reached a low point if, in the midst of a pandemic, we decide we can’t make sure children in the lowest income families have a nutritious meal in the middle of the day”.

Five Conservatives did rebel against the Government in support of the motion, one of which has subsequently stepped down as a parliamentary aide in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The political cost of rebellion is clear.

The Government is confident that what they have in place will ensure no child will go hungry. We must hope they are right and that politics has not got in the way of doing the right thing by our children. As Marcus Rashford says: “This is not politics, this is humanity.”