School meal scanda just so unappetising

AT the end of next year, Poppy, the seven-year-old from Liverpool whose engaging plea to PM Rishi Sunak to introduce universal free school meals was on the front page of last Friday's Daily Mirror, may need to write again - but this time to Keir Starmer.

Because Labour's Prime Ministerin-waiting is, unfortunately, as unappetisingly opposed to feeding all of our primary school pupils as the cold-hearted, rich Conservative he is poised to replace in No10.

Universal free school meals is not Labour Party policy, trilled a spokesman. Then why not? This is a cause that goes to the heart of what Labour stands for and the fairer, more decent country we could be.

Labour's grassroots grasps that, which is why 89% back universal free school meals for primary children.

But not the top brass.

Starmer, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and, in the education brief, a Bridget Phillipson who was herself a free school meals kid, are all desperate to keep it off the menu for families in most of England.