Nick Clegg writes with great passion in the Guardian about the Tory plans to scrap universal free infant school lunches:
So much for compassionate Conservatism. So much for helping the “just about managing”. During my time as deputy prime minister, I repeatedly blocked the Conservatives from proceeding with tax, welfare, education and pensions policies that did not cater for the neediest in society. I became wearily familiar with the Conservative party’s habit of placing greater priority on the needs of “their” voters than those of society at large.
…It’s less than a year since Theresa May stood outside No 10 Downing Street and declared that her mission was to lead a country that worked for everyone. Now that we know she wants to scrap universal infant school lunches – a measure proven to boost health and educational outcomes – while spending huge amounts of taxpayers’ money on new selective schools – a measure proven to damage social mobility – that statement looks hollower than ever.
You can read the full article here.
3 Comments
I remember Ed Balls’ ‘Free school meals campaign, when he wanted to step up an expansion to free infant school meals to a further half million children. He argued that free school meals would improve ‘health, concentration and behaviour’.
I very much supported this, but I remember many on here supporting the view of Mr Gove that it was an unfunded promise by the previous government.
Those extensions would have bolstered the evidence – base for the value of a good diet to health and development, and made it difficult for any party in government to ignore.
Shouldn’t free school meals be limited to children whose parents are on low incomes?
Margaret Thatcher- milk snatcher.
Theresa May – takes your dinner away.