Labour Councillors and Karen Buck MP have called on Westminster Council to follow the lead of other local authorities and step in to offer free school meal vouchers. This follows the government refusal to support free school meals over the school holidays until Easter 2021. Labour’s Hammersmith and Fulham Council have already agreed to provide the vouchers using contributions won by the council taking a tough approach in negotiations with property developers.

Labour Children’s Services Spokesperson Tim Roca said: “Westminster Council must step in and make sure that in one of the world’s wealthiest cities, children are not allowed to go hungry this winter. Over 5000 children in our city are eligible for free school meals, in a borough with some of the worst child poverty in London”.

Labour MP for Westminster North Karen Buck said: “We need Westminster Council to step in and help struggling families now that Conservatives in government have failed to act. We know that applications for the free school meal voucher scheme are increasing in Westminster, and that there is real hardship being faced by more and more of our residents.”

Labour have written to Westminster Council calling on them to take action. Labour Councils such as Hammersmith and Fulham, Southwark, Camden and Redbridge have already taken action to fill this gap left by the Government and Westminster should do the same.