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Extend FSM eligibility: Rashford vows to fight on

School food Government policy Pupil wellbeing Poverty Coronavirus
Footballer Marcus Rashford has vowed to continue to lead the campaign to end child food poverty after forcing the government to back down over its refusal to fund free meals during school holidays.

Prime minister Boris Johnson was forced into a climb down over free school meals (FSMs) after more than 1.1 million people signed Mr Rashford’s petition calling for change.

MPs had recently voted against proposals to fund FSMs during the October half-term break as an increasingly desperate Mr Johnson tried to argue that the government £63m emergency funding to councils, unveiled in June, would cover FSM holiday provision.

However, on Sunday (November 8), the government unveiled the so-called Covid Winter Grand Scheme, worth £170m, which it said would support “children, families and the most vulnerable over winter” and will be run by councils.

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