Rashford: Hungry children still worrying about next meal

Hungry children are sitting in class worrying about what their younger siblings will eat at home later, says campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford.

Rashford, who prompted a Westminster government U-turn on free meals over the summer holidays, says some cannot focus due to rumbling stomachs.

Stepping up his child poverty campaign, he is urging UK ministers to offer free meals to 1.5 million more children.

Wales has just said it will offer poor pupils free meals over the holidays.

Northern Ireland, which has just announced a time limited lockdown in which schools will close, has said it will cover pupils’ meals during this period, but nothing further is promised for the coming Christmas holiday.

England’s government has not committed any further resources to free school meals since schools returned in September.

Rashford, who has told of his own impoverished childhood and formed a coalition of food campaigners under the name #endchildfoodpoverty, is now mounting a petition to Parliament.

The petition calls for free school meals to be available for every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent.