Sadiq Khan has dialled down his demands for a programme of free school meals to be rolled out nationwide, saying he “fully appreciates and understands” why the Labour Government will not do so.
Since introducing the policy in all London primary schools last year, the mayor had consistently argued that the last Tory Government should have picked up the bill to pay for the scheme, which cost £140m to deliver across the capital this year.
In an independent evaluation of London’s City Hall-funded programme, published on Tuesday, the new Government has been similarly urged to “commit to a phased approach for universal free school meals” across the country, “starting by expanding eligibility to children in families receiving Universal Credit”.
But asked whether he endorsed the report’s recommendation, Mr Khan would only go as far as to say he wanted a “conversation” to be had about that possibility.
He said: “We’ve seen since July 4, the disclosure from the Treasury, confirmed by the OBR [Office for Budget Responsibility], there’s this £22bn black hole, which needs to be filled in some way.
“I fully appreciate and understand why the Government can’t provide funding for universal free school meals. I’m hoping in the medium to long term, once this Government fixes the mess left by the previous Government, I want us to have a proper conversation about how we can have this going forward.”
The claim made by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in July this year, that she had inherited a £22bn gap in the public finances, was met with ridicule by her Conservative opponents. Her predecessor, Jeremy Hunt, said she would “fool absolutely no one” and accused her at the time of a “shameless attempt” to lay the groundwork for future tax rises.
Pressed on whether he was still arguing for free school meals nationally, the mayor said: “I fully understand the pressures the Government is under. I was with Rachel Reeves last week, and when you hear some of the stories in relation to what this Government has inherited, it’s just alarming…
“The great news is, the promise the Labour party have made in their manifesto, of free breakfast [clubs], is going to happen ahead of schedule. London children will see the benefits in April. A free breakfast, and a free lunch, which is quite remarkable, bearing in mind that just two years ago, there was neither of those things.”
He added: “I don’t speak for the Government. What I know from the Government is, from the conversations I’ve had with them, it’s a mess, in relation to their inheritance. They’re trying really hard to clean up that mess. £22bn is not an insignificant amount of money. A £22bn-a-year deficit is what they’ve inherited.”
Approached for comment, a Department for Education spokeswoman said: “This Government is determined to give every child the best start in life, including through our plans to introduce free breakfast clubs in every primary school.
“This will help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day, and drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment.
“The continued provision of free school meals to disadvantaged children also plays an important role in breaking down the barriers to opportunity. As with all Government programmes, we will keep our approach under continued review.”
Mr Khan promised in his re-election manifesto to keep free primary school meals in London going for as long as he is mayor, but it remains unclear exactly how the policy will be paid for each year.
Asked about this, he said: “We have, at the moment, single year [funding] deals from the Government, so I publish my budget every year. In due course, I’ll publishing my budget [for 2025/26] - that will set out how we’re going to fund free school meals going forward next year...
“But the good news is that the Government is going to be publishing a comprehensive spending review, come spring. Our ask of the Government is a multi-year deal… If we get that from the Government, a multi-year deal, I’ll be able to give multi-year settlements.”
The new evaluation of free school meals in London was authored by Impact on Urban Health, a group which forms part of the Guy’s & St Thomas’ Foundation.
It found that as well as alleviating cost-of-living pressures on families, the policy “appears to be supporting calmer behaviour in the classroom, with school staff reporting afternoon lessons running more smoothly when children have had a hot, healthy meal”.
Chef Tom Kerridge said: “I was delighted to join Sadiq in September to launch the second year of free school meals for all state primary school pupils in London.
“It was clear from the children and their teachers how much of a positive impact these meals make, and this independent report further demonstrates how free school meals remove the stigma on young people and the financial burden on families.”
