In the House of Commons on Tuesday, MPs defeated a Labour motion, moved by Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner, to block a planned government move that will take a free, hot school meal from the mouths of around one million children from low-income families.
Tory MPs have attempted to deflect blame for their callousness by selectively quoting a Channel 4 Fact Check article – which said it could not fault the Labour Party’s calculations – in order to claim they are actually giving free meals to an additional 50,000 children and not taking it away from the million.
But that pathetic deflection was laid to rest in the very first exchange of the debate around Labour’s motion:
Chris Philp (Croydon South) (Con)
Does the hon. Lady agree with Channel 4’s FactCheck, which says:
“This is not a case of the government taking free school meals from a million children”.
These are children who are not currently receiving free school meals, and in fact the Government’s proposals would see 50,000 extra children receive free school meals. Perhaps the hon. Lady could stop giving inaccurate information to the House.
Angela Rayner
The hon. Gentleman should know that his Government have introduced transitional arrangements, and we are clear that under the transitional arrangements, those 1 million children would be entitled to free school meals. With the regulations, the Government are pulling the rug from under those hard-working families.
In my own boroughs of Oldham and Tameside, a total of 8,700 children growing up in poverty are set to miss out. In the Secretary of State’s own area, the total is 6,500. So much for the light at the end of the tunnel that the Chancellor mentioned over the weekend on “The Andrew Marr Show”!
The UK has one of the worst rates of child malnutrition and ‘food insecurity’ among rich nations – with one in five UK children suffering food insecurity.
In spite of this – and the callousness of depriving hungry schoolchildren of food, with the consequent impact on their health and education – the government defeated the motion.
Not a single Tory MP rebelled – and of the ten DUP MPs, ‘incentivised‘ by a Theresa May pledge to maintain the free school meals for Northern Irish children – only one declined to vote away the provision for children in Britain.
The full roll-call of shame of MPs who voted down Labour’s attempt to protect poor children from hunger is below:
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Conservative (302)
Adams, Nigel
Afolami, Bim
Afriyie, Adam
Aldous, Peter
Allan, Lucy
Allen, Heidi
Amess, Sir David
Andrew, Stuart
Argar, Edward
Atkins, Victoria
Bacon, Mr Richard
Badenoch, Mrs Kemi
Baker, Mr Steve
Baldwin, Harriett
Barclay, Stephen
Baron, Mr John
Bebb, Guto
Bellingham, Sir Henry
Benyon, rh Richard
Beresford, Sir Paul
Berry, Jake
Blackman, Bob
Blunt, Crispin
Boles, Nick
Bone, Mr Peter
Bottomley, Sir Peter
Bowie, Andrew
Bradley, Ben
Bradley, rh Karen
Brady, Sir Graham
Brereton, Jack
Bridgen, Andrew
Brine, Steve
Brokenshire, rh James
Bruce, Fiona
Buckland, Robert
Burghart, Alex
Burns, Conor
Burt, rh Alistair
Cairns, rh Alun
Cartlidge, James
Cash, Sir William
Caulfield, Maria
Chalk, Alex
Chishti, Rehman
Chope, Sir Christopher
Clark, Colin
Clark, rh Greg
Clarke, rh Mr Kenneth
Clarke, Mr Simon
Cleverly, James
Clifton-Brown, Sir Geoffrey
Coffey, Dr Thérèse
Collins, Damian
Costa, Alberto
Courts, Robert
Cox, Mr Geoffrey
Crabb, rh Stephen
Crouch, Tracey
Davies, Chris
Davies, David T. C.
Davies, Glyn
Davies, Mims
Davis, rh Mr David
Dinenage, Caroline
Djanogly, Mr Jonathan
Docherty, Leo
Donelan, Michelle
Double, Steve
Dowden, Oliver
Doyle-Price, Jackie
Drax, Richard
Duddridge, James
Duguid, David
Duncan, rh Sir Alan
Duncan Smith, rh Mr Iain
Dunne, Mr Philip
Ellis, Michael
Ellwood, rh Mr Tobias
Eustice, George
Evans, Mr Nigel
Evennett, rh David
Fabricant, Michael
Fallon, rh Sir Michael
Fernandes, Suella
Field, rh Mark
Ford, Vicky
Foster, Kevin
Fox, rh Dr Liam
Francois, rh Mr Mark
Frazer, Lucy
Freeman, George
Fysh, Mr Marcus
Garnier, Mark
Gauke, rh Mr David
Ghani, Ms Nusrat
Gibb, rh Nick
Gillan, rh Dame Cheryl
Glen, John
Goldsmith, Zac
Goodwill, Mr Robert
Gove, rh Michael
Graham, Luke
Graham, Richard
Grant, Bill
Grant, Mrs Helen
Grayling, rh Chris
Green, Chris
Green, rh Damian
Greening, rh Justine
Grieve, rh Mr Dominic
Griffiths, Andrew
Gyimah, Mr Sam
Hair, Kirstene
Halfon, rh Robert
Hall, Luke
Hammond, rh Mr Philip
Hammond, Stephen
Hancock, rh Matt
Hands, rh Greg
Harper, rh Mr Mark
Harrington, Richard
Harris, Rebecca
Harrison, Trudy
Hart, Simon
Hayes, rh Mr John
Heald, rh Sir Oliver
Heappey, James
Heaton-Harris, Chris
Heaton-Jones, Peter
Henderson, Gordon
Herbert, rh Nick
Hinds, rh Damian
Hoare, Simon
Hollingbery, George
Hollinrake, Kevin
Hollobone, Mr Philip
Holloway, Adam
Howell, John
Huddleston, Nigel
Hunt, rh Mr Jeremy
Hurd, rh Mr Nick
Jack, Mr Alister
James, Margot
Javid, rh Sajid
Jayawardena, Mr Ranil
Jenkin, Mr Bernard
Jenkyns, Andrea
Jenrick, Robert
Johnson, rh Boris
Johnson, Dr Caroline
Johnson, Gareth
Johnson, Joseph
Jones, Andrew
Jones, rh Mr David
Jones, Mr Marcus
Kawczynski, Daniel
Keegan, Gillian
Kennedy, Seema
Kerr, Stephen
Knight, rh Sir Greg
Knight, Julian
Kwarteng, Kwasi
Lamont, John
Lancaster, rh Mark
Leadsom, rh Andrea
Lee, Dr Phillip
Lefroy, Jeremy
Leigh, Sir Edward
Letwin, rh Sir Oliver
Lewer, Andrew
Lewis, rh Brandon
Lewis, rh Dr Julian
Liddell-Grainger, Mr Ian
Lidington, rh Mr David
Lopez, Julia
Lopresti, Jack
Lord, Mr Jonathan
Loughton, Tim
Mackinlay, Craig
Maclean, Rachel
Main, Mrs Anne
Mak, Alan
Malthouse, Kit
Mann, Scott
Masterton, Paul
May, rh Mrs Theresa
Maynard, Paul
McLoughlin, rh Sir Patrick
McVey, rh Ms Esther
Menzies, Mark
Mercer, Johnny
Merriman, Huw
Metcalfe, Stephen
Milling, Amanda
Mills, Nigel
Milton, rh Anne
Mitchell, rh Mr Andrew
Moore, Damien
Mordaunt, rh Penny
Morgan, rh Nicky
Morris, Anne Marie
Morris, David
Morris, James
Morton, Wendy
Murray, Mrs Sheryll
Murrison, Dr Andrew
Neill, Robert
Newton, Sarah
Nokes, rh Caroline
Norman, Jesse
O’Brien, Neil
Offord, Dr Matthew
Opperman, Guy
Parish, Neil
Patel, rh Priti
Pawsey, Mark
Penning, rh Sir Mike
Penrose, John
Percy, Andrew
Philp, Chris
Pincher, Christopher
Poulter, Dr Dan
Pow, Rebecca
Prentis, Victoria
Prisk, Mr Mark
Pritchard, Mark
Pursglove, Tom
Quin, Jeremy
Quince, Will
Raab, Dominic
Redwood, rh John
Rees-Mogg, Mr Jacob
Robertson, Mr Laurence
Robinson, Mary
Rosindell, Andrew
Ross, Douglas
Rowley, Lee
Rudd, rh Amber
Rutley, David
Sandbach, Antoinette
Scully, Paul
Seely, Mr Bob
Selous, Andrew
Shapps, rh Grant
Sharma, Alok
Shelbrooke, Alec
Simpson, rh Mr Keith
Skidmore, Chris
Smith, Chloe
Smith, Henry
Smith, rh Julian
Smith, Royston
Soames, rh Sir Nicholas
Soubry, rh Anna
Spelman, rh Dame Caroline
Spencer, Mark
Stephenson, Andrew
Stevenson, John
Stewart, Bob
Stewart, Iain
Stewart, Rory
Streeter, Mr Gary
Stride, rh Mel
Stuart, Graham
Sturdy, Julian
Sunak, Rishi
Swayne, rh Sir Desmond
Swire, rh Sir Hugo
Syms, Sir Robert
Thomas, Derek
Thomson, Ross
Throup, Maggie
Tolhurst, Kelly
Tomlinson, Justin
Tomlinson, Michael
Tracey, Craig
Tredinnick, David
Trevelyan, Mrs Anne-Marie
Truss, rh Elizabeth
Tugendhat, Tom
Vaizey, rh Mr Edward
Vara, Mr Shailesh
Vickers, Martin
Villiers, rh Theresa
Walker, Mr Charles
Walker, Mr Robin
Wallace, rh Mr Ben
Warburton, David
Warman, Matt
Watling, Giles
Whately, Helen
Wheeler, Mrs Heather
Whittaker, Craig
Whittingdale, rh Mr John
Wiggin, Bill
Williamson, rh Gavin
Wollaston, Dr Sarah
Wood, Mike
Wragg, Mr William
Wright, rh Jeremy
Zahawi, Nadhim
Democratic Unionist Party (9)
Campbell, Mr Gregory
Dodds, rh Nigel
Donaldson, rh Sir Jeffrey M.
Girvan, Paul
Paisley, Ian
Robinson, Gavin
Shannon, Jim
Simpson, David
Wilson, rh Sammy
Independent (1)
Elphicke, Charlie
Edit: this list originally showed 315 MPs. The latest Hansard record shows 312.
HYPOCRITES – No free school meals when you earn £7500! Yet MPs who earn more than TEN TIMES THAT get:
Free breakfast
Free lunch
Free tea
Subsidised alcohol
All on expenses! All in this together are we? I guess the light at the end of the tunnel was a train!
Meanwhile:
https://www.checkpointasia.net/russia-now-exports-more-foodstuffs-than-weapons/
There’s a canny lesson there for those running about like Corporal Jones with their thumb up their anus and brain in neutral.
It can’t be too long before we start seeing food parcels arriving on these shores from those parts of the world whose traditionalist political class know what they are doing.
They’ve already directly contributed to the deaths of thousands, if not tens, or even hundreds of thousands with their ‘austerity’ measures.
Who seriously believes they’ll give a flying one regarding any protest about starving children when they ONLY care about their own snouts in the trough?
Memo to middle classes: Your ignorance can only stretch so far before YOU become complicit. You’re extremely close to that stage of complicity at this very moment.
No handwringing excuses and apologies. Once they’ve removed the lower classes (By fiscal genocide – NOT by eradicating poverty & inequality in the manner you’d like to believe they’re endeavouring to) then do not think for one second you’ll be exempt from those same measures… They’ll want what you’re left with…And they’ll get it.
And there won’t be anyone but yourselves to fight your corner because you fell for the divisive snide tricks they’ve played. You never were, and never will be ‘one of them’. So stop falling for their ‘aspirational’ bullshit right the f**k NOW.
To Stella Creasy Jess Phillips and all others in the PLP who like to PAL UP WITH TORIES .
The image of the cosy chat Phillips had with JRM and the sofa , Creasy hanging on the side of some Tory twat at a concert WTF
THIS , THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T EVER EVER MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE ENEMY NOT EVEN TO TAKE THE PISS OUT OF THOSE OF US WHO SUPPORT REAL LABOUR UNDER JC.
Your enemy are the Tory Politicians EVERY FUCKING ONE OF THEM not us in the Labour party who support JC ,,, get it now !!!
I want to know who voted them in and why, did the voter’s think they where backing Corbyn, but now find out the person they voted for is actually stabbing Corbyn in the back
BARBARIANS TO A MAN AND WOMAN.
They take the food for the mouths of poor kids.
And force the homeless to sleep in the cold.
They ignore the elderly in social care.
But stuff the mouths of the rich with gold!
Only a fortnight ago…
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-give-rich-parents-2000-12094271
How much more will it take?
The only time the Tories think of our kids is when they are trying to have sex with them.
Meanwhile Nadine Dorries MP complains about the state of parliamentary food
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/torynadinedorrieswho-happily-munched-camels-toe-12178281
Hi Skwawkbox, can you check the list of MPs shown here? I note that there are Scottish MPs named, and while I believe they did indeed go through the lobbies, their votes were not counted as the vote was on England only legislation. This should also exclude any votes from Welsh or Northern Ireland MPs…
See update. Latest Hansard only has three fewer names – error in their list?
And DUP – or nine of them – definitely voted
Got it. You can set the view to EVEL votes only and the Tory number is 282. However, their 30 remaining MPs still voted – but seems SNP didn’t
Nothing to stop all MPs voting on any legislation. “England only” refers to the line-by-line consideration of a bill in committee. If the bill relate only to England the committee will have only English members
You stuff your pockets with our money, charging us for every little expense and yet you deny the most vulnerable in society a free meal?? What kind of leeches are you? I hope that every time you put a morsel of food in your fat greedy mouths you remember those poor little children. I hope that every time you look at your own children you feel deep shame. Just pray you and yours are never in that situation. You are beyond disgusting.
With you 100% on you comment these sleazy greedy despicable human being should get Karma
as will any of those on this and other lists of shame be reminded when they come squirming out of there mud huts begging for votes to be asked about there voting history before I tell t them to do one and why
The cumulative impact of tax and welfare reforms
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/cumulative-impact-tax-and-welfare-reforms
One and a half million more children in poverty by 2022
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/our-work/news/one-and-half-million-more-children-poverty-2022
Heartless scrooges, every last one of them!
As Nye Bevan once said, “Tories are lower than vermin”. Nye understated the depths of their evil.
Every day brings a new level of corruption and callous cruelty
It is hard to find the words to say how bad the tories are, how truly evil, and I fear for us all unless they can be got out of power soonest…
No surprise my MP David Morris Conservative but not for much longer I hope, is on the list.
Alistair Jack, you despicable, odious little man. Your sort are the scourge of the working class. How cancerous little people like you get into any position of authority is beyond sickening. You earn more than what your job titles reflects, you extort tax payers money via expenses and get second homes paid for, whilst removing kids free meals.
Absolute trash.
I see Graham Stuart is on the list. He always is and without fail always agrees with every despicable vote by this utterly vile, evil and corrupt bunch of tory degenerates. Shame on you. Are you totally void of a conscience? Surely there must be something you are asked to vote for, which you don’t agree with. You simply cannot be so totally wretched and inhumane and so incapable of any kind of feeling for other human beings.
And Jesus said”suffer the little children to come unto me”,and May said”not if you are hungry !!”😈
So DUP vote for the motion knowing full well that Ireland keep their free school meals package!!
The whole thing is despicable!! Totally heartless people.
I work with families at ground level in a deprived area & this is heartbreaking.
Steve Brine you fucking Bastard of course you voted for this you fucking bastard.
Haven’t these MPs ever heard the quote: ‘Any society is only three meals away from revolution’. Typical of these shameless Tory MPs really. What’s most disturbing, though, is the greedy people that vote these parasites that vote them in!
In essence: the ‘pond life’ are the MPs and the detritritus the pond life feed off are yes, you guessed it, THEIR VOTERS – ‘WHAT A SORRY EXCUSE FOR HUMANITY!!!
Footnote – according to the Guardian today an exemption was given to N. Ireland – sleep well tonight Barbarian DUP!
David Warburton what is your justification for voting against free school meals?
Stuart Andrew MP is claiming he didnt vote against it, yet his name is on the list, no like a tory MP to lie
He needs to take it up with Hansard
Is this right that the DUP gets a vote on this even though it is EVEL? But Wales and Scotland don’t? Is that the DUPs ‘punishment’ for failing to agree a power sharing arrangement?
I just wrote to my worse than useless MP about this.He’ll probably whine that he is representing a Welsh constituency [however, he voted for EVEL because he is a Tory first and foremost].
Plaid voted too. Other UK MPs can register their vote but they are discounted on EVEL issues. Plaid/DUP voted, SNP didn’t bother
Disgusting hope the people that voted these rodents feel ashamed An I hope every one of them MPS that voted yes to this bill get food poising off ur free food An ur expenses for food💔😡😡
A disgraceful act of treachery on the most vulnerable in our community not one of these MPs children will go without ever in their lives
We will never forgive them
Well may they cringe at the next general election, it may be their last
Meanwhile, back at the ranch wealthy MPs bars, restaurants (dens of sex and iniquity) enjoy huge subsidies….even though MPs deny frequenting them!!!
Its such a shame, They have no idea of the struggles of us ordinary people, there was a time while I was getting back on my feet as a single parent that I was very glad of the free school meals, I knew both my boys had had a decent hot meal, especially as school dinner have much improved since I was at school, and it meant I had more money to try an put a decent meal on the table in the evening as things were so tight especially with bills, rent and food costs rising year on year. once I was up and running I was glad to pay for them. most of us just need that little helping hand.
Did no one bother checking this shoddy journalism then. They are comparing two hypothetical scenarios both of which are more generous than the current system. Very misleading article. It’s just that Labour wants to be more generous than the conservatives. No one is depriving anyone of anything. I’m a labour voter and the worst thing about this article is the damage you (the author) do by giving misleading half truths to deceive. sad, very sad .
You’re wrong, Peter. If the Tories had not changed the rules, then defeated Labour’s attempt to prevent the rule-change, a million more kids would be getting school meals. However Tory apologists try to spin it, Labour’s claim is entirely factual – and the Tories voted to prevent those children from poor families being fed at school for free
peterfaretra,
You are a Labour Voter?
“WHY”?
The damage, Skwawkbox is (the author) giving misleading information!
I’m not a person who is shocked easily, I have to say, your statement is a complete misnomer!
You should be ashamed of yourself!
Try looking through a pair of binoculars the rightway.
Absolutely despicable, inhuman, heartless crooks, stealing from the impoverished to line their own filthy stinking pockets, they should be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
They do it because they know people won’t do anything to stop them. Remember, over half of voting Brits elected these miscreants. One out of every two voting-age people you see every day are in favour of these deprivations.
As someone who grew up without food at home 9/10, free school dinners were sometimes the only meal I had a day… This makes me so very sad
I can’t believe the names on this list top tories like Anna Sourbry, Esher Mcvay, Boris Johnson, even Jacob Reeves Mogg shame on you all. Give up your free meal to feed a child who are our future !
How many abstained or were absent?