School lunch scheme 'not a sweetener' ahead of unpalatable Budget announcements, says Keir Starmer
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The prime minister has denied a photo-call with children intended to publicise his government's expansion of the free school meals scheme was being served up as a "sweetener" ahead of less palatable announcements later this week.
Keir Starmer said his visit was a prime example of the Labour values that would be at the heart of the party's Budget on Wednesday.
As communities and industry wait nervously and attempt to predict what will be included in Rachel Reeves' mid-week lunchtime announcement, her boss made the journey to Welland Academy in Peterborough to serve meatballs and pasta to pupils.
He was there to promote the government's expansion of the free school meals scheme which it says will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.
From September 2026, the children of all families receiving Universal Credit will be eligible for free lunches at school. It is expected to impact 500,000 children.
But when asked if that scheme was intended as a diversion ahead of Wednesday's Budget, Mr Starmer was quick to knock down the suggestion.
"This is not a sweetener. This is about the basics, ensuring children have the best chance in life. That's really important personal motivation for me," he said.
"I don't want to see any children held back because governments are indifferent to child poverty. I'm not indifferent to child poverty. I'm absolutely determined to drive it down."
The free-school-meals expansion was first announced back in June - and while Mr Starmer was keen to focus his Peterborough visit on what his government had already promised, he could not escape the inevitable questions looking to the future.
He told ITV News Anglia's political correspondent Emma Hutchinson: "Obviously the budget will be in a few days and will set out our plans.
"The principles will be, firstly, to further protect our public services, particularly the NHS, secondly to get our debt down and manage our finances, and third to bear down on the cost of living.
"Across the country, if you ask people what is their number one concern, they will say it's the cost of living, being able to make ends meet.
"When I was growing up we couldn't always pay our bills. I know what it feels like to be around the the kitchen table worrying about that. That's a political mission of mine, it's also a personal mission of mine."
Ahead of the election in 2024, Labour pledged it would not increase income tax to help raise funds for public services.
That promise has become increasingly hard to keep and experts predict Wednesday's budget will include a raft of tax rises - albeit stopping short of an income tax increase.
Mr Starmer would not be drawn on where the funds would come from but said: "It will be a Labour budget with Labour values. It will be absolutely focused on fairness, that will be at the heart of it."
Watch the Chancellor's Budget from 12.15pm on Wednesday live on ITV1, ITVX and our YouTube channel.
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