Scottish Government loses vote on free school meals

SNP ministers are under no obligation to expand universal free school meals despite losing Wednesday's vote.

The Scottish Government has lost a vote to expand free school meals to all primary school pupils.

The Scottish Conservatives led the debate on Wednesday afternoon calling for the policy to go ahead.

It was the second defeat of the night after MSPs voted in favour of the Government reversing its decision to bring back peak rail fares. Both votes are non-binding.

First Minister John Swinney confirmed last week that he won’t fulfil the SNP’s pledge to expand universal free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils.

He said the measure, which currently applies to all P1 to P5 pupils, will only be available for those above that age group who are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.

The Scottish Government has insisted it remains committed to the policy but can only introduce it once finances allow.

After the SNP split from its cooperation agreement with the Scottish Greens, it lost its majority at Holyrood.

It was defeated on Wednesday after all opposition parties voted against the government in favour of introducing universal free school meals for all primary pupils.

Despite losing the vote though, the Scottish Government won’t be legally bound to introduce the policy. Deputy first minister Kate Forbes confirmed that her government’s position has not changed.

A motion by Tory MSP Liam Kerr calls for the Government to introduce free school meals to all primary pupils “as promised”.

The Government amendment commits to introducing the policy “when budgetary positions allow”.

Meanwhile, Labour’s amendment criticised the SNP’s “repeated broken promises to Scotland’s children and young people”.

Scottish conservative chief whip Alexander Burnett said: “John Swinney must see the error of his ways and drop these damaging plans in the wake of two humiliating parliamentary defeats inflicted by the Scottish Conservatives.

“By refusing to deliver free school meals to all primary pupils in this parliament, he is breaking a direct pledge on which the SNP were elected. It also makes a mockery of claims that tackling child poverty is his top priority.”

The Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) said the Scottish Parliament had shamed the government after it “betrayed” school children.

General secretary Roz Foyer said: “Our Parliament was right to hold them to account. Every day that a child goes hungry in our classrooms is a national scandal and it’s utterly incompatible for the Scottish Government to claim eradicating child poverty is their priority whilst they rollback on their pledge to our pupils.

“It’s avoidable. It’s preventable. It’s inexcusable.”

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