Lib Dems to call for free school meals for all children in poverty

The Liberal Democrats are calling for free school meals to be offered to an additional 900,000 children living in poverty.

Britain’s third largest party will use its annual conference in Brighton this week to say free school meals should be offered to all children in poverty, as for many it could be their only meal of the day.

Education spokesperson Munira Wilson will use her keynote speech on Sunday to call for the policy to be expanded, as well as for a national body for special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

The body would be responsible for supporting children with the most complex needs, ending what the Lib Dems called a “postcode lottery” leaving parents in some areas unable to access the support they need for their children.

Ms Wilson, who has been the MP for Twickenham since 2019, is expected to say: “There’s a constituent of mine who told me that she stopped buying her medication so that her daughter at college could afford some lunch. I’ve heard stories of pupils pretending to eat out of empty lunchboxes to hide from their friends that there was no food at home. That cannot be right in modern Britain.

“A free school meal for every child in poverty would give 900,000 more pupils a full stomach each lunchtime. That means better academic progress, better behaviour and concentration, better health outcomes. But Labour have stayed silent.”

It comes as the Lib Dems hold their first gathering of MPs and activists since the general election saw them win a record number of seats.

The party, which now has 72 MPs, is seeking to pile pressure on Labour over issues from health and social care to Brexit and education.

On Send, Ms Wilson will say: “Where do I start with special educational needs? A system where tens of thousands of parents must fight the council in the courts to get the support that is their child’s legal right.

“When parents win almost 98 times out of 100, you know the system is broken. A system where the only reason why dozens of councils aren’t bankrupt is because they can keep Send support off the balance sheet.

“Liberal Democrats have plenty of positive proposals to bring to the table. Ideas such as a new national funding body so that the most severely disabled children can have their support paid for centrally, freeing up councils to help others in need.

“In the early years, Send and more, we will be a constructive opposition to Labour.”

Ms Wilson’s speech comes after Lib Dem chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said voters across the UK want to see MPs working together.

She said: “I think what people want to see is MPs working together to try and secure a fair deal for the whole of the UK – not trying to divide us.

“Being the third party is a big responsibility. We have a far greater ability to affect change now than we did in the previous parliament.

“We want to be a constructive opposition. We want to be local champions. We want to do things differently.”

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, who arrived at the conference in Brighton on a jet ski on Friday, is to address MPs and activists on Tuesday.