Tory MP who abstained on free school meals vote calls for government rethink

East Worthing and Shoreham’s MP has called for a government rethink on the free school meals extension.
School dinners (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) SUS-201022-103904001School dinners (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) SUS-201022-103904001
School dinners (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) SUS-201022-103904001

Labour’s motion was defeated by 322 votes to 261 in the House of Commons last week (Wednesday October 21).

It called for the extension of free school meal vouchers into the holidays until Easter 2021 for families in receipt of Universal Credit or an equivalent benefit.

Tim Loughton abstained on the vote.

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Every other Conservative MP in West Sussex voted against the motion.

Afterwards Mr Loughton wrote on Facebook: “Given how emotive the issue of free school meals has proved in recent years I took the view that the easiest thing would have been for the Government to continue the scheme for the foreseeable future whilst the pandemic is having such a huge impact of people’s lives.

“I also suggested we might come up with an alternative to vouchers by offering a version of the successful ‘Eat out to Help out’ scheme. Qualifying children could instead eat for free at local cafes and get a hot meal rather than a voucher and that would have the added bonus of helping out the business at this difficult time.

“I relayed those views to ministers but unfortunately, they decided to go ahead and vote down the motion which has unleashed a lot of indignation in the press and from people around the country, though mostly with only half the facts.

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“I could have voted with the Labour Party on the motion, rather than abstain, but having voted against the Government on three issues in the Immigration Bill earlier in the week I think it is sensible to pick my fights carefully.”

He went on to point to a number of measures implemented by the Conservative Government to help the disadvantaged such as extra welfare funding, income protection schemes, the holiday activities and food programme and free laptops for children to children in households without access.

He added: “To listen to the Labour Party and all the fake outrage in the debate this week you would think none of this ever happened. So I hope you can see that there is a lot more to this than just free school meals and the Government actually has a very proud record of prioritising help for the poorest in society but of course we need to do more.

“Notwithstanding this I still think it would have been easier for the Government to continue with the free school meal holiday entitlement in these unprecedented times. I will now lobby ministers to reverse this decision for the Christmas break. Voting outright against the Government in this debate would have made that task less easy and also given the hypocritical tactics of the Labour Party more credibility which they didn’t deserve.

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“Either way I am in trouble with Conservative colleagues who think I should have voted with them; in trouble with constituents who think I should have voted with Labour and in trouble with constituents who think that deliberately abstaining is the same as voting with the Government and are cross that they could not attack me even more by expecting me to vote a different way. Work that one out.

“As far as I am concerned, I did the right thing and no amount of abuse will change my mind, so if you are thinking of still sending me some then please don’t or at least save it for someone who deserves it.”