Rashford plea rebuffed

MARCUS RASHFORD’S fight to tackle food hunger heaped further embarrassment on the Government yesterday, as Education Secretary Gavin Williamson came under fire from his own party over a tame response to the Manchester United player’s plea for help. A letter from Williamson to Rashford, which did no more than list a string of Government child poverty policies, was described by Conservative chair of the education select committee as ‘a lot of clothes pegs without a washing line’. The 22-year-old Rashford said of the letter: ‘We need to do better.’ Options open to Williamson had included asking Rashford to play a part in the development of a National Food Strategy or delegating one of his ministers to sit on the Child Food Poverty taskforce the Manchester United player has set up.

But his letter has not even proposed that the two of them meet to hammer out the issues face-to-face.

BBC Breakfast revealed Williamson had told the England star in his letter: ‘I recognise that you and the Child Food Poverty taskforce are supporting three of the recommendations in the National Food Strategy relating to food for lower income families. The Government will carefully consider each of the recommendations.’

Rashford said in response: ‘I don’t have the education of a politician. I have no interest in party politics. But I am disappointed by the lack of empathy shown i n recent weeks towards protecting our most vulnerable.’