Resolve to Feed: Is Food a Luxury?

Words Sarah Adama

To the average citizen, this wouldn’t even be a question. When you live in the 5th richest economy in the world but 1 in 5 children live in food poverty, you begin to wonder why your elected government treats the right to food as such. People have been campaigning for decades to end child food poverty. Political Editor, Sarah Adama gives us a clear update on what has been going on.

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 This evening, fast food giants support Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign in providing school meals for families who need it. The campaign to provide children with free school meals over the summer rallied the support of the U.K community, yet the plea was initially rejected by the government and followed by a sharp U-turn. Yesterday, MPs rejected Labour party’s motion to extend free school meals to 2021, by 322 votes to 261. Those that backed the motion were a labour majority, with only 5 conservative MPs. This means that the Prime Minister, as well as the Education Minister, Minister for Children Affairs, the Minister for School Standards, Universities and Apprenticeships Minister, the whole Department for Education, voted against the right to food. This is nothing short of ironic, considering there is extensive evidence that shows children living in food-insecure families are more likely to suffer from education losses. In the face of a pandemic, you would think a democratically elected government would show more compassion. Though do we expect better from a government that is notorious for cuts in the wrong place and compromising the welfare of its citizens; 10 years of austerity and cuts in local government budgets have led to increased levels of inequality and growing childhood poverty, only deepened by the pandemic.  

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Food poverty is an ongoing problem and school meals have a long history in the U.K. You may remember the more recent infamous school milk row in 1970 when the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, stopped the provision of free school milk for junior school pupils. Almost 50 years later, we are still campaigning to end child food poverty. Nothing has changed, this government still sees food as a luxury that cannot be afforded to children at the expense of their health, education etc.  

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1.4 million is only the startling figure for those who are entitled to free school meals. Research suggests there are a further near to a million children unaccounted for, living in a household where parents cannot cover school lunches, but are ineligible for free school meals. The current threshold for free school meals is quite low, as only families on Universal Credit and earning less than 7,400 a week qualify for free lunches. Hardworking families are being faced with the difficult decisions of paying their rent and bills or feeding their children. For many children, the school lunches are all they have. Families are struggling to put aside £20 a week to feed one child, whilst MPs on £80k plus per annum (plus expenses) enjoy the luxury of food and drink subsidies in parliament, as well as a £25 per night for food, when away from their constituency or in London. Members of Parliament can also claim travel expenses and expenses to rent a second property in London, if their constituency is outside of London. In 2018, subsidising food cost the taxpayer 4.4 million. Last year, 2.6 million was spent on subsidised catering to the House of Commons, only half way down from the 6million total in 2011. The latest figures show that taxpayers contribute 57,000 a week to subsidise food and drink for politicians. In 2018, subsiding food cost the taxpayer 4.4 million. According to this government, a £15 meal voucher is too luxurious for a child though angry citizens have cited Westminster’s menu as a “timely reminder of how cheap it is to eat like a king in parliament, subsidised by the taxpayer.” The vote has reignited the campaign to end subsidised food and alcohol in parliament, the public has expressed disgust and confusion in MPs voting against providing meals for vulnerable children despite enjoying Westminster’s subsidised meals, a petition has recieved almost 200,000 signatories. 

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Following the rejection, the community has come together to ensure that no child goes hungry under our watch. Hospitality businesses, local councils, restaurants, schools and even individuals have backed the campaign to offer free school meals to children over the half term. The campaign is quickly gaining momentum, despite many still struggling to cope from the impacts of COVID-19, people have shown “selflessness, kindness and togetherness,” Rashford remarked. This is the decisive action the country needs. We will never forget 2020, when in the midst of a global pandemic, the government paid millions in funding for a failed track and trace scheme, subsidised businesses to offer eatouttohelpout, but snubbed a £15 a week food voucher. If the government will not feed hungry children, we will. 

Keep up with the campaign #endchildfoodpoverty.

Sarah Adama - Political Editor