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The Free School Meals debate is starting now in parliament [A THREAD]. @UKLabour has put forward this debate, standing shoulder to shoulder w/ @MarcusRashford & his tireless campaign to stop children going hungry.
Please follow as I live tweet the action. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/21/marcus-rashford-clashes-with-tory-mps-over-free-school-meals
Please follow as I live tweet the action. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/21/marcus-rashford-clashes-with-tory-mps-over-free-school-meals
This follows another debate brought by @UKLabour on "Fair economic support for areas facing additional covid restrictions". These are connected - the cost of one gov't consultant for one day on failing track & trace is the same as a free school meal for 3,043 hungry children.
A significant effort has been made over the last few days to persuade conservative MPs to vote with their conscience rather than their party - we'll soon see if it's worked. https://www.itv.com/news/2020-10-20/labour-to-trigger-vote-on-free-school-meals
"The government is walking away from its obligations to hungry children." Debate opened by @KateGreenSU, Shadow Education Secretary, asking Conservative MPs if they are certain that no child in their constituency will be going hungry in the half term and Christmas holidays.
"Since the summer holidays the situation has got worst, more desperate, for millions of families." @KateGreenSU lists how the gravy train continues for Tory donors & Serco. "Why is it the money only runs out when it's hungry children who need it?"
Response now from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson. Choosing to outline steps taken by the gov't to support children during the pandemic (which, by the very nature of this debate happening, does not include free school meals for children who need them over the holidays).
Intervention from @TanDhesi asking about use of foodbanks for children, anticipating a huge rise in winter. Gavin Williamson responds by talking about universal credit...which clearly isn't working to prevent child poverty (or we wouldn't be having this debate!)
Education Sec says the best route out of poverty is helping people into work...as unemployment rises rapidly...in a debate about children.
"Education is the number one route to opportunity and prosperity" says the Education Secretary in this debate about free school meals during holidays. Can see Shadow Education Sec @KateGreenSU willing him to get back on to the point.
Now @BrendanOHaraMP gives full support of the SNP to the @UKLabour motion. Points out that in Scotland they are doing the right thing.
As we also know, in Wales the Labour/Lib Dem government are doing the right thing. It's only hungry English children being left behind.
As we also know, in Wales the Labour/Lib Dem government are doing the right thing. It's only hungry English children being left behind.
"Poverty is not accidental, it's not inevitable. It is a political choice." - @BrendanOHaraMP
Scottish Conservatives Leader allegedly made free school meals his flagship policy going into the Scottish Parliament elections next year...suggested that Scottish Tory MPs will not vote with the government because of this - question is if more Conservatives will break ranks.
Conservative MP Robert Halfon, chair of the Education Select Committee, recommends that the gov't use income from the 'sugar tax' in order to fund free school meals and food programmes over the school holidays. He also gives his support to @EmmaLewellBuck's School Breakfast Bill.
Conservative MP @PaulMaynardUK calls for a national and universal summer holiday activity and food support scheme. If Paul votes against the motion because it's not ambitious enough(!), it will be interesting to see if he can secure anything for children by next week's half term.
"It is injustice we vote on today. MPs can allow injustice to occur, or we can vote to prevent an injustice being done to children through no fault of their own. I'll be voting to end injustice" - powerful speech by @coyleneil in the Free School Meals debate.
"Before the summer @MarcusRashford publicly shamed the government into providing free school meals over the holidays." @BarryGardiner quotes local Head Teachers' experiences over summer & fears for the upcoming holidays. Free School Meals described as "a lifeline" & "a minimum".
Conservative MP Jo Gideon says she is "Disappointed and saddened by the divisive nature of today's debate."
I don't know about you but I'm disappointed and saddened by the shocking levels of child poverty in our country. Should it not be debated?! https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2020/06/22/fact-checking-claims-about-child-poverty/
I don't know about you but I'm disappointed and saddened by the shocking levels of child poverty in our country. Should it not be debated?! https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/2020/06/22/fact-checking-claims-about-child-poverty/
Must be a Conservative briefing going round telling MPs to accuse Labour of being 'party political' whenever they stand up for children. That seems to be the best reason they've got to not offer free school meals over holidays during the pandemic. Shameless deflection.
Wow. Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith calls @MarcusRashford's campaign "celebrity virtue-signalling". After his own PM just gave him an MBE...
"We are dealing with the biggest recession since the First World War, and therefore it is correct to look at quick measures like this." Labour's @CatherineWest1 sets out how she rolled out food support for children when council leader, but austerity has crippled council finances.
Conservative MP suggests that there are more important issues to address that are the drivers of food poverty for children. He genuinely gives the example of 'addiction' as something that his government is focused on instead... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-44039996
Labour's @LizTwistMP points out that if universal credit was working, millions of children wouldn't be going hungry.
"We have to do more."
"We have to do more."
"This idea of feckless parents unwilling to take responsibility just doesn't hold water. Universal credit was barely fit for purpose before the pandemic, but now it is on its knees." @charlotte2153 urges gov't to find the money to make sure children aren't going to bed hungry.
As an antidote to the Conservative tirade against @MarcusRashford, Labour's @marykfoy thanks him for his "vital and selfless campaign".
Mary argues that "poverty is never the child's fault, and to punish them is as cruel as it is illogical."
Mary argues that "poverty is never the child's fault, and to punish them is as cruel as it is illogical."
"Extending free school meals over this period is the very least the government can do to support children and families in need" says @TahirAliMP.
Passionate speech by @NazShahBfd, who tells Tory MP she won't take lectures from him. "This is a debate about poverty! What is it that people in this house don't get?! Shame on anyone who votes this motion down."
"The idea of Free School Meals is something that never should have been put to a vote. This should have been something we worked together to deliver." Really powerful speech by @TaiwoOwatemi, casting aside her notes to ask that compassion is shown to children in her constituency.
"Parents are more than twice as likely to be furloughed, and now they have to worry about whether they can feed their children." Shadow Children's Minister @TulipSiddiq sets out that 2,300 meals could be paid for if we dropped one consultant for one day from Serco Test and Trace.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way it treats its children." Nelson Mandela quoted by @TulipSiddiq as she asks every Conservative MP to think seriously about voting on behalf of vulnerable children, even if that means voting against their party.
Work & Pensions Secretary @theresecoffey responding from the gov't, talking about support during covid (that clearly does not include what is actually being debated).
Intervention from @zarahsultana, short and to the point: "If you vote against this motion, if you let kids go to sleep hungry at night, how do you not feel any shame?"
Clearing the lobby for the vote now, but not before it is decided whether to include a government amendment to the motion.
261 votes for Free School Meals over the holidays.
322 [Tory] votes against.
The motion fails. Every single Tory MP who voted against but said it's because they were dealing with the 'bigger issues' better crack on and develop an offer in the next 2 days before half term...
322 [Tory] votes against.
The motion fails. Every single Tory MP who voted against but said it's because they were dealing with the 'bigger issues' better crack on and develop an offer in the next 2 days before half term...
Thank you to every MP who stood up on behalf of children in this debate, including @KateGreenSU @TulipSiddiq @TaiwoOwatemi @BarryGardiner @CatherineWest1 @charlotte2153 @zarahsultana @NazShahBfd @BrendanOHaraMP @coyleneil & @marykfoy. And thank you of course to @MarcusRashford.
A really disappointing & shameful result. Thank you for keeping up with this thread. Please follow my page for more of these in the coming months as we show what's really going on in parliament and what can be done locally in our @UKLabour and @CoopPartyLocal campaigns 
