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PM urged to 'swallow his pride' over FSM holiday refusal

School food Pastoral issues School finance Government policy Pupil wellbeing Coronavirus Vulnerable children
School leaders and teachers have urged Boris Johnson to “swallow his pride” and back down over his refusal to provide free school meals (FSM) during school holidays.

The government and many Conservative MPs have been hit by a backlash from food poverty campaigners – including footballer Marcus Rashford – after voting against Labour Party proposals to extend FSM provision to cover the October half-term.

A petition launched by Mr Rashford calling for FSM provision to continue during school holidays has now gained more than one million signatures. Up from around 300,000 this time last week.

Latterly, an increasingly desperate Mr Johnson has tried to argue that the government £63m emergency funding to councils, unveiled in June, could cover FSM holiday provision. Ministers have also argued that the £20 weekly increase to Universal Credit, introduced in April to support families during the pandemic, will help cover food costs.

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