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More than 300 Conservative MPs have been accused of ‘cruelty’ after voting against footballer Marcus Rashford’s offer to extend free school meals during school holidays
Labor’s motion, which called for an extension of the program until Easter 2021, was defeated by 261 votes to 322 after being presented in the Commons on Wednesday evening
Opposition figures called the result « disgusting », with many accusing the government of « not caring » that more than 4 million children eligible for free school meals now go hungry
Labor leader Angela Rayner tweeted: ‘Tonight I voted to feed vulnerable and needy children in our country The Conservatives voted to leave them hungry
« I voted for workers facing hardship in lockdown areas to get 80% of their income Conservatives voted against That’s all you need to know »
Meanwhile Labor MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome wrote: ‘I don’t know how the 322 Tory MPs sleep tonight
« Because I can’t, knowing that 14 million kids like Cameron will be hungry this Christmas, » she said, referring to a boy featured in a documentary she shared
She added: « Rishi Sunak spent £ 500million on the ‘Eat Out to Help’ program It costs around £ 20million to provide free school meals for a week There is money for the Nando at half the price, but there is no money to feed the children? ”
Liberal Democrat health and welfare spokesperson Munira Wilson also shared her outrage: “It would be extremely unfair for this government to allow children to go hungry this winter, especially in the middle of a pandemic
« I have urged the government to follow the lead of Lib Dem Edu Minister Kirsty Williams of Wales by extending #FreeSchoolMeals during school holidays »
Former Labor Minister Dame Joan Ruddock tweeted: ‘I don’t understand how Conservative MPs can justify denying children from poorer families a decent meal every day of the holiday
« School meals are known to be essential to the health of & well-being of these children & there is no substitute They are going to be hungry – such cruelty »
Richard Burgon of Labor said the Tories had shown they didn’t care children were going to go hungry
« Conservative MPs just voted against extending free school meals over Christmas break They know it will mean a million children will go hungry They don’t care A sickening display of the Conservatives’ contempt for the people of our communities «
Nottingham MP Ben Bradley engaged in a Twitter exchange with Rashford, writing: ‘Government has a lot of responsibilities: supporting the vulnerable, helping people help themselves, balancing accounts
« It is not as easy as you to understand Marcus The extension of the WSF in schools passes the responsibility of feeding the children away from the parents, to the state It increases the dependence »
Rashford tweeted back: « Well, the economy is already paying a high price for child hunger If children were properly fed you would increase education and your chances in life
« @KelloggsUKI calculated that we would spend at least £ 5 2 million lost teaching hours per year as teachers deal with starving children
« And for a more humane response, since March, 32% of families have suffered a drop in income Almost a million people have fallen in payroll It’s not an addiction, it’s a call help
« There are no jobs !! 250% increase in food poverty and No one said it was easy… »
Child Poverty Action Group chief executive Alison Garnham said Britain has « hit a low point if, in the midst of a pandemic, we decide we can’t make sure the children of the low income families have a nutritious meal in the middle of the day «
« Tonight’s vote means more children go without and more desperately anxious parents – just as a coronavirus winter approaches, » Ms Garnham told the Daily Mirror
« This will not suit all those people from all walks of life who support Marcus Rashford because they no longer want child poverty ignored »
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News from around the world – GB – Fury after Tory MPs vote against Rashford’s school meal calls
