Pupils call for free school meals for all

Sir Keir Starmer announced an extension of the free school meals programme in June

Pupils in Liverpool are calling on the government to provide free school meals for all.

About 100 children from schools in the city handed a petition to the Prime Minister at the Labour Party conference, and also handed out leaflets to delegates as they arrived.

More than 20,000 people have signed the petition, urging the government to extend the free meals scheme.

A Department for Education representative said the government's Plan for Change is tackling child poverty through offering free school meals to every child from a household that claims Universal Credit.

Jo Little, deputy head of Fazakerley Primary, says access to food should be a basic right for all youngsters.

"Children can't learn when they are hungry, children aren't happy when they're hungry, it's absolutely essential and we are often feeding children out of our own pantry that we are sourcing ourselves," she said.

"I'm really proud of the children and that they've come out to fight for this."

In June Sir Keir Starmer announced an extension of the free school meals programme to include any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit.

"This means over half a million more children will be able to access free school meals, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty," a Department for Education representative said.

"And we're doing even more to put money back in the pockets of working families, with 30 hours of government-funded childcare, free breakfast clubs in every primary school and a cap on school uniform costs that will save parents a further £500 a year."