Sadiq Khan dials down call for national free school meals due to '£22bn black hole'

Since introducing the argumentation successful each London primary schools past year, the mayor had consistently argued that the past Tory Government should person picked up the measure to wage for the scheme, which outgo £140m to present crossed the superior this year.

In an autarkic valuation of London’s City Hall-funded programme, published connected Tuesday, the caller Government has been likewise urged to “commit to a phased attack for cosmopolitan escaped schoolhouse meals” crossed the country, “starting by expanding eligibility to children successful families receiving Universal Credit”.

But asked whether helium endorsed the report’s recommendation, Mr Khan would lone spell arsenic acold arsenic to accidental helium wanted a “conversation” to beryllium had astir that possibility.

He said: “We’ve seen since July 4, the disclosure from the Treasury, confirmed by the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility], there’s this £22bn achromatic hole, which needs to beryllium filled successful immoderate way.

“I afloat admit and recognize wherefore the Government can’t supply backing for cosmopolitan escaped schoolhouse meals. I’m hoping successful the mean to agelong term, erstwhile this Government fixes the messiness near by the erstwhile Government, I privation america to person a due speech astir however we tin person this going forward.”

The assertion made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves successful July this year, that she had inherited a £22bn spread successful the nationalist finances, was met with ridicule by her Conservative opponents. Her predecessor, Jeremy Hunt, said she would “fool perfectly nary one” and accused her astatine the clip of a “shameless attempt” to laic the groundwork for aboriginal taxation rises.

Pressed connected whether helium was inactive arguing for escaped schoolhouse meals nationally, the politician said: “I afloat recognize the pressures the Government is under. I was with Rachel Reeves past week, and erstwhile you perceive immoderate of the stories successful narration to what this Government has inherited, it’s conscionable alarming…

“The large quality is, the committedness the Labour enactment person made successful their manifesto, of escaped meal [clubs], is going to hap up of schedule. London children volition spot the benefits successful April. A escaped breakfast, and a escaped lunch, which is rather remarkable, bearing successful caput that conscionable 2 years ago, determination was neither of those things.”

He added: “I don’t talk for the Government. What I cognize from the Government is, from the conversations I’ve had with them, it’s a mess, successful narration to their inheritance. They’re trying truly hard to cleanable up that mess. £22bn is not an insignificant magnitude of money. A £22bn-a-year shortage is what they’ve inherited.”

Approached for comment, a Department for Education spokeswoman said: “This Government is determined to springiness each kid the champion commencement successful life, including done our plans to present escaped meal clubs successful each superior school.

“This volition assistance guarantee children are acceptable to larn astatine the commencement of the schoolhouse day, and thrust improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment.

“The continued proviso of escaped schoolhouse meals to disadvantaged children besides plays an important relation successful breaking down the barriers to opportunity. As with each Government programmes, we volition support our attack nether continued review.”

Mr Khan promised successful his re-election manifesto to support escaped superior schoolhouse meals successful London going for arsenic agelong arsenic helium is mayor, but it remains unclear precisely however the argumentation volition beryllium paid for each year.

Asked astir this, helium said: “We have, astatine the moment, azygous twelvemonth [funding] deals from the Government, truthful I people my fund each year. In owed course, I’ll publishing my fund [for 2025/26] - that volition acceptable retired however we’re going to money escaped schoolhouse meals going guardant adjacent year...

“But the bully quality is that the Government is going to beryllium publishing a broad spending review, travel spring. Our inquire of the Government is simply a multi-year deal… If we get that from the Government, a multi-year deal, I’ll beryllium capable to springiness multi-year settlements.”

The caller valuation of escaped schoolhouse meals successful London was authored by Impact connected Urban Health, a radical which forms portion of the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation.

It recovered that arsenic good arsenic alleviating cost-of-living pressures connected families, the argumentation “appears to beryllium supporting calmer behaviour successful the classroom, with schoolhouse unit reporting day lessons moving much smoothly erstwhile children person had a hot, steadfast meal”.

Chef Tom Kerridge said: “I was delighted to articulation Sadiq successful September to motorboat the 2nd twelvemonth of escaped schoolhouse meals for each authorities superior schoolhouse pupils successful London.

“It was wide from the children and their teachers however overmuch of a affirmative interaction these meals make, and this autarkic study further demonstrates however escaped schoolhouse meals region the stigma connected young radical and the fiscal load connected families.”