On Saturday, 4^th February, Sean Turner spoke to the Women’s group of the Twickenham CLP about the important work he and his charity – School Food Matters – are doing to extend Free School Meals (GSM) to all children.

It’s widely acknowledged that properly fed children are happier, healthier, and more successful. In fact, findings from the Department for Education Universal FSM (USFM) pilot noted improved academic attainment, with children on UFSM making between four and eight weeks’ more progress in maths and English than similar pupils in comparison areas.

However, only families whose household income is less than £7,400 per year are currently entitled to free school meals, meaning that around one third of children in poverty are excluded from this benefit. This amounts to an additional penalty being imposed upon our neediest children.

Morally responsible, economically advantageous

Ensuring that all children have the opportunity to achieve their potential at school is not only morally responsible, but economically advantageous. In fact, a cost-benefit analysis undertaken by PwC found that: extending free school meals to those on universal credit will cost £6.4 billion and return £25.1 billion; and that doing the same for all schoolchildren will cost £24.2 billion and return £99.5 billion.

In this context, School Food Matters has launched its Feed the Future campaign which is asking for an immediate extension of free school meals to all children from families in receipt of universal credit – and ultimately for free school meals to be rolled out to all school children.

London Labour is leading from the front on this issue with, for example, Westminster recently announcing the extension of free school meals to all primary school children; and Labour MP Zarah Sultana is fighting (against determined Tory opposition) to get her Free School Meals For All proposal through the Commons. The Twickenham CLP is therefore delighted to lend its support to Sean and his colleagues in their efforts to extend the provision of free school meals and would urge our comrades in the Labour party around the country to do the same.