A DECISION not to extend free meals for vulnerable children through school holidays has been branded ‘devastating’.

The rejection by MPs of footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to extend free school meals across the half-terms and the Christmas holidays has been slammed. 322 MPs voted down the Manchester United player’s proposal to prolong free school meals - including Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell and Copeland MP Trudy Harrison.

Mr Fell said the best way to support families outside of term time is through Universal Credit, rather than free school meals.

But the decision has angered member of opposition parties with one Barrow Labour stalwart saying MPs should ‘hang their heads in shame’.

Earlier this year Barrow Council became one of the first authorities in the country to declare a poverty emergency.

Its aim is to help identify and tackle the root causes of poverty and inequalities across the area.

According to analysis conducted by The End Child Poverty coalition, child poverty has risen in Barrow over the last four years.

The analysis shows 31.1 per cent of children aged 16 and under in Barrow were living in families with low-incomes in 2018-19 – compared to 29.5 per cent in 2014-15.

In Barrow, the number of children in low-income families rose from 3,505 in 2014-15 to 3,647 last year.

Mr Fell said: “Free School Meals have only ever been intended to support pupils attending school during term-time, and I think it is important that these arrangements return.

“The best way to support families outside of term time is through Universal Credit rather than the government subsidising meals for families in their own homes.

“School leaders in Furness have worked incredibly hard during this pandemic and it is not reasonable or sustainable to also ask them to provide food or undertake additional action when they are closed for the holidays.

“Such action would bring an additional cost of around £20 million across England for each school holiday week and create new and significant organisational workforce burdens on the vast majority of schools.”

The petition called for free school meals to be extended to every child from a household on Universal Credit or an equivalent benefit.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron, who voted to extend the scheme, said he was ‘utterly devastated’ by the vote.

He said: “Wednesday night’s vote was one of the most depressing I have witnessed in my 15 years of being an MP.

“Over a million vulnerable children desperately needed MPs to act so they could be fed over the school holidays – but the Conservatives turned their backs on them.

“I’m utterly devastated that those MPs decided to put party loyalty ahead of the needs of children who will now go hungry over the half-term break.”

Chris Altree, chair of Barrow and Furness Constituency Labour Party said:"It's disappointing to see that our MP has once again voted against our area and against thousands of children locally

"Over the past 6 months, our government have wasted £21 Billion on faulty tests, faulty PPE and a failed track and trace system, yet Mr Fell and his government claim there is not enough money to ensure our children don't go hungry this Christmas.

"Only 10 months into office and Mr Fell has proved himself to be nothing but another yes man for an incompetent government."

Barrow Borough Councillor Bill McEwan described the vote as ‘absolute shambles’.

He said: “I cannot understand these MPs who had the vote to really change things for the better. The child poverty rate in Barrow is enormous and the fact there’ll be children going without food over Christmas because of this is shocking. I can’t understand why Simon Fell would vote against this.

“Children are the heart of everything - they are our future and they’re starving. Marcus Rashford has done fantastic for the kids and knows what he’s doing because he’s been through it. The MPs who voted against it should hang their heads in shame.”

Chief Executive of Child Poverty Action Group Alison Garnham said ‘Britain had “reached a low point if in the midst of a pandemic we decide we can’t make sure children in the lowest income families have a nutritious meal in the middle of the day’.