Allies say Boris Johnson ‘WILL u-turn and provide more cash to feed poor children’

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Marcus Rashford today voiced bewilderment at claims from Matt Hancock that he has been in touch with PM about the free school meals row – amid mounting signs a Tory revolt will force the government to U-turn.

The Health Secretary said Boris Johnson and the England star had been ‘communicating’, insisting it was time for ‘everybody to come together’ over the need to feed poorer children.

Pressed on whether more money could be handed out to support the provision during school holidays, Mr Hancock pointedly failed to rule it out. 

He stressed the government’s commitment to ensuring ‘no child should go hungry’, saying it has already handed £63million to councils. 

However, Rashford seemed unaware of the contact from Mr Johnson, suggesting on Twitter they had not spoken since a previous climbdown in June.

The government is scrambling to find a way out of the latest bitter wrangle, with Tory MPs furious at the ‘shockingly inept’ handling and threatening to help Labour change the policy. 

A petition by Premier League footballer Rashford calling for funding of free school meals during holidays has gathered around 900,000 signatures.

Businesses have been pitching in by offering food for distribution to those in need. 

Meanwhile, protesters have been leaving empty plates outside local Conservative offices, while Rishi Sunak and other senior politicians have been banned from some firms in their constituencies.  

Former ministers are leading a Conservative revolt on free school meals as they warned the PM he must think up ‘something better’.

As many as 100 Tory MPs have been sharing angry messages over the Government’s handling of the campaign, describing it as ‘shockingly inept’, a ‘political disaster,’ and ‘hopeless communication’, according to The Times. 

Downing Street sources now say that work is being done on more support for eligible pupils outside of school term time.   

In a round of interviews this morning, Mr Hancock said he understood Mr Johnson and Rashford had been in touch. 

‘There has been communication between the two, as far as I understand it,’ he told BBC Breakfast.

‘We have all seen what Marcus Rashford has done, and the way he has conducted himself in this campaign I think is absolutely exemplary.

‘He is making an argument based on his personal experience for the benefit of people who really need that support.’

Asked if urgent extra government measures are needed on free school meals, Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘Well, I accept and I strongly believe that we should all come together to ensure that no child should go hungry.

‘That’s the central insight behind what Marcus Rashford is arguing for, and I think he’s making the case just with such strong eloquence and speaking authentically from personal experience, and I think that’s something that we should all get behind.’

He added: ‘I think that working together with central government providing funding, which we’ve done, the councils often know on the ground how best to get to the children who need support most and people as individuals.’

But Rashford seemed bemused by the claim, responding on Twitter: ‘Hmm, unless he’s referring to the call we had following the u-turn in June?’ 

Pressure was heaped on Mr Johnson yesterday as Labour leader Keir Starmer announced that he will force another Commons vote on the issue before Christmas.

And senior Conservatives made clear they could line up behind the motion this time, with some saying they ‘regretted’ supporting the government in a decision last week.

Former children’s minister and Tory MP Tim Loughton called on the Government to extend free school meals through half term and ‘probably’ into the Christmas holidays.

He told BBC 5Live today: ‘It’s not a matter of a U-turn. The Government has given unprecedented amounts of money during the pandemic.

‘The total bill is now over £215bn, of which a large amount is on welfare measures, not least a £20 extra on Universal Credit which is really, really welcome.

‘Let’s just do it over half term and probably into Christmas and that would continue doing a lot of good.

‘I think it’s just so much easier, it’s a simple and effective method that you carry on free schools meals.’

The East Worthing and Shoreham MP added that there is a ‘concern’ in Government that the funding would be open-ended and added that he does want it to become a ‘permanent commitment’. 

Conservative leader of Warwickshire County Council Izzi Seccombe said the council had a £500,000 scheme through the Covid-19 period to help those who are in need.

‘Through this scheme we will be able to support those in need next week through the free school meal offer and we’ve committed to Christmas as well,’ she said.

Asked if the Government funding in June had been spent, she said: ‘Yes we’ve spent that money, as I say over half-a-million pounds has been spent already.’

Asked if local government would be able to further fund free school meals, she added: ‘It’s tight. We are going to be funding it ourselves now because there isn’t money in there to support it, so we will be trying to find it from other sources.’

She told the Today programme: ‘I think the main thing for us is what we don’t want is people within Warwickshire feeling anxious, feeling worried and children going hungry during this half-term period. We have a scheme, we can support it – well we’ll find means of supporting it – and for that it will help people to get over this particular week.

She added: ‘It’s all about priorities isn’t it… we think it is a priority for us.’

As Tory angst built, Liaison Committee chair Sir Bernard Jenkin warned that the Government has ‘misunderstood’ the mood of the country over free school meals.

He told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: ‘I think we have to admit that we have misunderstood the mood of the country here.

‘The public want to see the Government taking a national lead on this. I think the Government will probably have to think again on that, particularly if there’s going to be more votes in the House of Commons.

‘When you have got the chairman of the Education Select Committee (Robert Halfon) not supporting the Government on this – and he’s a Conservative – I think that the Government has to listen to the Conservative Party.’

Asked how he would vote in any further Commons divisions, Sir Bernard said: ‘I shall wait to see what the Government says and how they respond to the situation.’

Defence Committee chair Tobias Ellwood was asked on Times Radio if he regretted voting with the government last week.

‘I suppose, yes, if I’m honest about it,’ he said.

‘I regret the way the debate came about because one thing that is happening here is we’re losing the national resolve if you like. 

‘Politicians and the politics of this whole Covid-19 I’m afraid is not going in the right direction. 

‘The more parties work together and support a collective direction of government the easier it is to manage an enduring emergency.’ 

The children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield delivered an excoriating condemnation of the spat yesterday, saying it was like ‘something out of Oliver Twist’.   

Ms Longfield said she had been ‘horrified and really disappointed’ by the recent debates over the extension of free school meal vouchers for vulnerable children.

‘We’re a wealthy country, it’s 2020,’ she told Sky News.

‘To have a debate about whether we should make sure that hungry and vulnerable children have enough to eat is something that is strikingly similar to something we’d expect to see in chapters of Oliver Twist – a novel published in the 19th century.

‘Let’s stop the divisive and distracting conversation, and let’s start focusing.’

But Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis defended the Government’s stance.

He said ministers had increased Universal Credit and were providing £63million to local authorities to help people in their communities at a time of hardship.

‘I know this is a very emotive issue. It is a sensitive issue. It is something that affects families in my constituency as well as round the country. I think the position we have taken is the right position,’ he told Sky News.

‘What we are looking to do is ensure that we deal with child poverty at the core, putting the structure in place that means even in school holidays children can get access to the food that they need.’

In the letter organised by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), the doctors say they are ‘shocked’ by the government’s refusal to extend the scheme to children from low-income backgrounds in England during upcoming school holidays.

The college has called for the government to match pledges made by authorities in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland – who have agreed to extend the schemes across the Christmas, February and Easter breaks.

Speaking about the letter, Professor Russell Viner, President of the RCPCH, said: ‘I’ve rarely seen such anger among our members.

‘We care for children who don’t have enough to eat. We see far too many of them.

‘It is heartbreaking that it has become a normal part of our jobs and hunger is all too common for millions of families in the UK.

‘There is an opportunity to put this right. It is pointless to talk about levelling up the country, an ambition which we support, while refusing to offer temporary relief to children and families.’

The college says there are four million children living in the UK in poverty with the pandemic ‘entrenching this reality’.  

Bosses say children ‘desperately need government support’ and that, while food vouchers will not solve the problem of child poverty, they do offer a short-term remedy for children that don’t have enough to eat. 

Dr Max Davie, Officer for Health Improvement at the RCPCH said: ‘We’re a rich country. This isn’t about money, it’s about making sure people have food to eat, and it’s about doing the right thing for children who need a hand up.

‘We shouldn’t have to fight for food vouchers when we’re in the middle of a pandemic.’