Dear Editor,
There has been a great deal of news coverage this week regarding Free Schools Meals. Many have written to me concerned and angry because they have been told by Labour that Free School Meals are being removed. This is completely false and has been exposed as false by independent fact checking organisations. To the contrary of the Labour misinformation I am committed to ensuring that disadvantaged, young people are able to access a free nutritious meal at school.
This issue also exposes a troubling streak in some of the recent spin we have seen in politics. It is more important than ever in our current climate that we have honest reporting of facts and that politicians are truthful to those whom they serve. This disingenuous spin by the Labour Party is in direct opposition to the sort of “kind, gentler politics” they pretend to adhere to.
I have always believed in working together in politics to ensure that we help those most in need and give our children the best start in life. However, I find it extremely sad that Labour has chosen to spin this story with falsehoods and misinformation to try and score cheap political points. Their falsehoods were exposed online by Channel 4 Fact Check but yet they continue with their campaign of misinformation. The facts are these;
- No child will lose their meals during the rollout of Universal credit as a result of these changes.
- Our plans mean an extra 50,000 children will be eligible for a nutritious meal at school by 2022.
- Labour’s claim that our changes could leave over a million children without this is deliberately misleading.
- Since 2010, we have extended the availability for free school meals to disadvantaged students in further education and introduced universal infant free school meals
When Universal Credit was introduced, the Government were clear that they would set a new criteria for free school meals. To ensure that no one was adversely affected during its roll out, the Government temporarily made Universal Credit a qualifying benefit for Free School Meals, regardless of income. As was made clear at the time, this was always an interim measure.
We actually voted to extend the eligibility of free school meals by an extra 50,000 children. Whilst Labour continues to play petty party politics, I will be working with the Government to helping disadvantaged children and ensuring that we continue to deliver free school meals in Northumberland and across the United Kingdom.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed