Here’s how Bexhill and Battle MP voted on free school meals motion

MPs rejected the motion by 322 votes to 261.

Bexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman voted against the motion.

The campaign to extend school meals into the holidays was spearheaded earlier this year by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, who forced the Government into a U-turn on the summer break.

Five Conservative MPs rebelled against the Government yesterday evening to support Labour’s motion, one of whom was neighbouring Eastbourne MP, Caroline Ansell.

Mr Merriman said: “This Opposition Day Motion was a cheap attempt by the Labour party to portray the Conservative government as depriving children of food and it was unjust and unqualified.

“This Government has actually extended free school meal eligibility to a further 50,000 children and expanded programmes like breakfast clubs.

“The fact is that free school meals have never been provided during the school holidays under any government prior to Easter 2020.

“Due to schools being closed during lockdown just before Easter, we transferred the concept of free school meals to the home, meeting the costs of a national voucher scheme for those eligible for free school meals, and kept this running over the Easter and summer holidays given schools were closed up to that time for most pupils.

“Schools are now reopen so we return back to the system which has always been in place under successive governments of all political parties: free school meals apply during term-time only.

“For those families who are in need of further support there is Child Benefit and Universal Credit. We’ve added £9bn to the welfare system to help this year.

“For those most in need, Universal Credit has been increased even further to help those who need support for the challenges of 2020.

“The aim is that we pay the money to families and they then determine how best to spend it for their household.”

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.