One of Boris Johnson’s ministers has been accused of a “pathetic” attempt to re-write history, after claiming the decision to extend free school meals had nothing to do with pressure from Marcus Rashford.
Children’s minister Vicky Ford denied a high-profile push by the Manchester United footballer and campaigner was behind the U-turns on meals provided to some of England’s poorest families during an interview on Thursday.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, the minister suggested the government had decided to “extend” the eligibility of a food voucher scheme before Mr Rashford’s intervention.
Labour MP David Lammy accused the minister of attempting to “re-write history” on the government’s free school meals “fiasco”.
The shadow justice secretary said: “No one will believe this dismissal of Marcus Rashford’s campaign. Arrogant and delusional.”
Ms Ford was asked by GMB host Susanna Reid why had taken a footballer for the government to change its policy on food poverty.
“Why did it take a footballer to make you extend the free schools meals? Why is it the work of Marcus Rashford to make that happen?” asked the host.
“No it didn’t, actually Susanna,” she replied. “I had extended the [eligibility] of free school meals to more groups of children right at the beginning of this lockdown.”
“Are you saying the work of Marcus Rashford was irrelevant?” the presenter asked the minister.
“Hugely respect Marcus and the campaign he’s been doing,” Ms Ford said, before claiming: “He’s been very supportive of the work we’ve been doing.”
A well-documented U-turn in November saw Mr Johnson phone Mr Rashford to say the government would commit £170m to extend England’s free school meals voucher programme over the Christmas break, as well as covering the 2021 Easter holiday.
It followed a similar U-turn last summer. Mr Johnson had initially rejected the England star’s plea for £15-a-week food vouchers given to children from low-income families to continue over the summer.
But in June, in the face of overwhelming public support, MrJohnson called the footballer to explain his decision to extend the vouchers throughout the summer.
Ms Ford was reminded on GMB that she had voted against a Labour party motion to extend free school meals over Christmas in October.
The minister said: “I voted against the voucher system being done by schools in the holidays because there were other ways we were putting support in – such as the Covid Winter Grant scheme – and that’s really important.”
