Marcus Rashford stars for Manchester United, but it’s his efforts on behalf of disadvantaged … [+]
The U.K. Government is hardly alone in struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its impact – but few could have forecast that it would be brought to its knees by a professional footballer.
But that is exactly what has happened, as the Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has repeatedly embarrassed Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s administration by leading the campaign to extend free school meals to cover the school holidays.
Although the Government’s refusal to extend free meals outside term time in England is looking increasingly untenable, having long since become unreasonable, it has dug in its heels in the face of mounting criticism even from its own side of the political divide.
And in the process supporters of the Government line have allowed themselves to be painted as opponents of feeding hungry children.
The roots of the Government’s embarrassment were visible in the early summer, when Rashford spearheaded an attempt to persuade ministers to carry over free school meals provision into the summer holidays.
It had become all too apparent when schools were closed during lockdown, that for some children a school meal could be the only meal they got.
Around 1. 4 million children in England, one in six of all students at state-funded schools, receive free school meals, with eligibility based on household income.
And in Rashford, children from disadvantaged families found an intelligent, articulate and charismatic, as well as talented, champion, and what is more, one who as a recipient of free school meals himself, knew from experience about children going hungry.
After initially refusing to budge, the Government climbed down and extended free meals over the summer, rewarding Rashford in the Queen’s Birthday Honors for his efforts.
But if ministers thought the honor would buy him off they had vastly underestimated the man.
Instead, he was back leading the charge again as the Government was unaccountably caught off guard by the far-from-sudden appearance of the half-term holiday this week.
The Government managed to rally its MPs to defeat an attempt last week by the opposition Labour Party to reverse its policy.
But far from bringing an end to the debate, the vote has been followed by days of unflattering headlines and increasing levels of opprobrium heaped on Johnson and his supporters.
And to deepen his humiliation, cafes and restaurants have stepped in to offer free meals for schoolchildren, as have local authorities, including some run by the ruling Conservative Party.
What makes it worse for Johnson is that the other constituent countries of the U.K. – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – have all decided to extend free school meals over the holidays, leaving England the outlier.
It is hard to think that cost is the deciding factor in stiffening the Government’s resolve.
The estimated cost of free school meals of £20 million a week ($26m) is dwarfed by the £500 million ($651) the Treasury spent on a discount scheme encouraging people to eat out in August to resuscitate the ailing hospitality sector, let alone the £12 billion ($15.6bn) thrown at a track and trace system that has so far signally failed to either track or trace.
The Government’s intransigence can only be explained by a determination that the state should not take over responsibility for feeding children from parents.
But far from setting a precedent, most people recognize that we are living through an extraordinary period, that may require extraordinary measures.
So far, Johnson has refused to budge, despite pressure from many on his own side, but the next big test will be whether he is prepared to see children go hungry over Christmas.
The Prime Minister promises he will do everything in his power to make sure no child goes hungry.
This seems to leave the way open to offering support through other means – such as extra help for local authorities to fund meals – without the appearance of another U-turn.
But so far Johnson has been comprehensively outplayed by a footballer who has garnered both public affection and support in a way no politician could, and it is hard to any other result in a rematch.
