Charities call for the government to u-turn on free school meals; & Rishi Sunak delivers another lifeline

More than 300 Tory MPs have been accused of “cruelty” after they voted against footballer Marcus Rashford’s bid to extend free school meals through the school holidays. Opposition figures branded the outcome ‘disgusting’ with many accusing the Government of “not caring” that the more than 1.4 million children eligible for free school meals would now go hungry. Our editorial column says hungry children need to be a priority. And, School Food Matters CEO Stephanie Slater is among the voices calling for a rethink on the decision.

And, Rishi Sunak came to the rescue of millions of people fearing redundancy today with a multi-billion-pound package of support plus help for London’s struggling bars and restaurants. Rising to the crisis posed by a Covid winter surge, the Chancellor announced he was almost doubling the wage subsidy for workers forced to go part-time. The Evening Standard’s political editor Joe Murphy explains who the fifth coronavirus package will benefit.

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