Rishi Sunak Tells Food Czar To Expand Free School Meals To More Needy Children For Christmas

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Author of Boris Johnson's national food strategy, Henry Dimbleby, told the Mirror the situation was 'worse than it has ever been summer", teachers bringing food to hungry students and parents having to go without to feed their children

Henry Dimbleby is the author of Boris Johnson's National Food Strategy (

Image: DAVID HARTLEY/REX/Shutterstock)

Rishi Sunak should extend free school meals to more needy children for Christmas, a government food official has said.

Henry Dimbleby, author of The National Food Strategy for Boris Johnson, said the situation was 'worse than it has ever been' with teachers bringing food to hungry pupils and parents having to scramble spend to feed their children.< /p>

In an interview with the Mirror, he urged the Prime Minister to offer free lunches to all households on Universal Credit 'tomorrow, yesterday, for Christmas' - and said it was 'so obvious' .

And he backed our calls for universal education in primary schools in England, telling the Tories: 'It's not like this is some crazy left-wing idea. It's going to be good for the country .”

The Mirror and the National Education Union (NEU) are campaigning for all English primary school children to receive free hot meals, in line with commitments made in Scotland and Wales.

Around 800,000 children living in poverty do not receive free school meals due to strict eligibility rules - and the real number is expected to be higher as the cost of living crisis takes hold.< /p>

Henry Dimbleby in his fast food restaurant LEON (

Picture:

REX/Shutterstock)

Under current rules, all students...