Conservative manifesto for General Election 2017: Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver condemns plans to scrap free school meals for infants

Anger at plans to scrap free school meals for infants: Jamie Oliver
AFP/Getty Images
Hatty Collier18 May 2017
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has condemned Theresa May's plans to scrap free school meals for infant pupils as a "disgrace".

The TV chef and campaigner said children performed better at school after a "decent lunch".

The Conservative manifesto promised that some of the money saved by ending universal free school lunches for infants in England would be used to provide free breakfasts for all primary-age children.

Mr Oliver was a firm backer of the free school meal policy which was a flagship Liberal Democrat programme introduced during the coalition era.

But Mr Oliver said: "We've already seen the childhood obesity strategy ripped to shreds, now Theresa May and her government have decided to remove free school lunches from millions of primary children.

"This is a disgrace. It's a fact that children perform better after eating a decent lunch.

"This move shows a complete lack of understanding of all the data that's been shared and puts our future generations at huge risk, as well as further undermining our teachers who benefit from well-fed kids.

"What are they going to snatch back next?"

The Tories argue that evidence shows a free school breakfast is as effective at helping children learn as a hot meal at lunch and can be delivered at a tenth of the cost, around £60 million a year.

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The Lib Dems condemned the decision to scrap the policy.

Lib Dem education spokeswoman Sarah Olney said: "Margaret Thatcher was known as the milk snatcher. Theresa May will go down as the lunch snatcher."

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