TIME TO FORK OUT

MIRROR CAMPAIGN: SUNAK MUST FEED OUR KIDS

-  LIZZY BUCHAN

DRESSED in smart uniforms and holding up red dinner trays, schoolchildren joined activists yesterday outside Downing Street to plead for free meals for all primary school pupils.

Pressure is mounting on Rishi Sunak to overturn strict rules which mean more than 800,000 youngsters living in poverty miss out on free lunches.

Dozens of MPs, campaigners and children gathered at No10 to hand over an open letter to the PM. Gary Lineker, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are among more than 240 politicians, public figures and faith leaders who are backing the calls, along with 90,000 signatures from the public.

Children from Monksdown Primary School, in Norris Green in Liverpool, penned letters to the PM.

Poppy, seven, told the Mirror: "I wrote it because I wanted free school meals for when we go into Year 3 so we don't have to pay as much money as the juniors. I tried to make my letter interesting and nice. I hope he enjoyed it.

She told him: "If you don't have much money you can't have food. If you don't have food your brain won't learn."

Mum Jessica, 28, said free school meals provide a lifeline, as her daughter Daisy, eight, receives them. She said: "I see a massive difference in my shopping bill when they're off."

Pupil Amber wrote: "If you don't have a free meal you might get sleepy and not learn. Parents might not have money to pay for meals."

The Mirror and the National Education Union want the benefit extended to all primary school children regardless of background.

All children in England can get free meals up to the end of Year 2, after which it only applies to households on certain benefits. Pupils living in Universal Credit families are only eligible if the parents earn less than a meagre £7,400 a year the average part-time salary in 2020 was £13,800.