Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson, today (28 September) announced her party's pledge to introduce breakfast clubs for every primary school in England, funded by returning the top income tax rate to 45 per cent after it was slashed to 40 per cent as part of Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng's mini budget.
Speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, Phillipson said that if it the Labour Party was elected it would rebuild the childcare system from "the end of parental leave right through to the end of primary school”, starting with the expansion of free school meals.
Experts from the education sector have cautiously welcomed the proposal, with Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, saying the plans will “make a real difference to parents with school-aged children trying to balance their careers and their childcare needs, as well as ensuring that no children start the school day hungry”.
Leitch continued to outline the importance of a “long-term plan” based on “realistic, sustainable funding”, to tackle the mounting challenges facing the childcare sector.
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of National Day Nursery Association (NDNA), welcomed the pledge as “the first move towards an overhaul of the childcare and early years sector which NDNA has been calling for”.
She continued to highlight the need for a “modern, affordable, accessible childcare system that is properly funded”, saying it is essential for extensions to existing policy to be thoroughly costed, with sufficient investment behind it and with close involvement of the sector”.
Tanuku has also urged Kelly Tolhurst, newly appointed minister for schools and childhood, to implement measures to “reverse the downward spiral” currently facing the sector.
Megan Jarvie, head of Coram Family and Childcare, said although free breakfast clubs would assist with families with young children facing rising living costs, “this change alone is only a first step towards the reform that is needed to fix the broken childcare system”.
She further stated that the organisation “look[s] forward to seeing plans from government and opposition parties on how they will create a childcare system that works for children, parents and employers”.
Other organisations and charities have welcomed the pledge on social media, with charity Magic Breakfast, which provides free breakfasts for children in schools across England, tweeting that “urgent change is needed” to tackle child hunger.
Labour's pledge follows wider calls for action to address the problem of food insecurity for families with young children, amid the cost-of-living-crisis.
Wandsworth Council recently announced plans for new School Food Strategy, which will provide free breakfasts to children in the borough, in partnership with Magic Breakfast.
Campaign group No Child Left Behind has also published an open letter to Prime Minister Liz Truss, urging her to extend free school meal provision to every primary school child.
Tolhurst has responded to calls for universal school meals, via a written parliamentary question, saying that the Department for Education does "not have any plans to extend universal provision”, since "the department believes it is right that provision is aimed at supporting the most disadvantaged, and those out of work or on the lowest incomes”.
Tolhurst further stated the department believes the current threshold for provision, is “the right one”, but eligibility will be kept under review.
