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Boris Johnson is facing a growing rebellion over the refusal to extend free school meals to all holidays, as protesters left dozens of empty plates outside a MP’s office.
However, several high-level conservatives have come out, with one suggesting that No. 10 has “misunderstood” the state of mind of the nation.
Manchester United star Marcus rashford he has been highly praised for leading the campaign, and his petition has quickly gathered nearly 900,000 signatures.
City councils, including Birmingham and Liverpool, are among those that have responded by providing tens of thousands of children with food packages and coupons this semester.
Some small businesses and organizations across the country have also stepped up to help.
The government extended the meal program during the summer holidays, but now insists its measures are enough to support families who may be struggling during the pandemic.
Dozens of empty message plates were left outside the office of Sir David Amess on Sunday, one of 322 MPs who helped defeat last week’s vote to extend the plan until Easter.
People in line to deliver dishes during an organized protest
“A lot of us are moms in the group, the moment you start to think too much that they’ll ever be hungry, it’s just heartbreaking,” said organizer Sadie Hasler, 40, of Southend.
However, some conservatives are growing uneasy about the government’s refusal to budge, especially at the cost of extending the plan to the current school break estimated at a modest £ 20 million.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, Chairman of the Commons Liaison Committee of senior MPs, told Sky’s Sophy Ridge: “We have to admit that we have misunderstood the mood of the country here …
“The public wants the government to take national leadership on this, and I think the government will probably have to think again about that.”
Former Defense Minister Tobias Elwood told Times Radio that he regretted voting in line with the party and that the free meals were a “practical vehicle” to help support families.
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Tim Loughton, another former minister, said it had been a mistake not to extend the meal plan beyond the summer break and that he was willing to vote against it if the Labor Party forces another vote.
“Free school meals are just one of those totemic things, it’s like the NHS, it can’t do anything wrong,” he told BBC Radio 4.
“Despite all the inconvenience this has caused, by removing the really good measures that the government has taken across the board, I don’t think it was worth the argument. I think it was a political mistake.”
The children’s commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, has even compared the situation to a Dickens novel.
Rashford now has a Pride of Britain award to add to his MBE
“Having a debate about whether we should make sure hungry and vulnerable children have enough to eat is strikingly similar to something we would expect to see in the chapters of Oliver Twist, a novel published in the 19th century,” he said. he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge.
Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, defended the government’s position over the weekend.
“I think we have the package in place that means people have the support they need during school holidays,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr.
He said families were being helped to put food on the table by increasing Universal Credit and councils were receiving £ 63 million to help people in need.
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“I know this is a very emotional issue. It is a sensitive issue. It is something that affects families in my constituency and throughout the country,” he said.
“What we want to do is make sure that we address child poverty at the center, setting up a structure that means that even on school holidays children can have access to the food they need.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also recently told Sky’s Kay Burley that he was very sympathetic to Marcus Rashford’s campaign, but that a “very careful package of measures” had been introduced.
In addition to extending the plan to all holidays, Rashford, who benefited from the free meals, wants it to cover everyone under 16 in a family that receives Universal Credit.
The 22-year-old also just received a Pride of Britain award for his campaign, weeks after earning an MBE in the queen’s birthday honors.
