Tory George Osborne has suggested a “much larger” group of kids should get free school meals in a boost to campaigners.
The former welfare slasher blasted his party’s “Tory dance” as it refuses calls - including from the Mirror - to extend the meals to more children in need.
TV chef Jamie Oliver today said parents struggling to feed their kids are facing “chaos”. And ex-PM Sir Tony Blair added it was “absolutely fundamental” to focus on kids’ health.
The Mirror's Free School Meals for All campaign is calling on the government to provide free school meals for every primary pupil in England.
In a big boost, Westminster Council - which Labour gained from the Tories in May - has announced that all children at local state-funded primary schools will be eligible.
Separately, many campaigners including Jamie Oliver and the government’s food tsar Henry Dimbleby want the meals extended specifically to all kids on Universal Credit.
Around 800,000 children whose families claim UC do not qualify because households must earn below £7,400 a year.
Mr Osborne did not spell out exactly how far he would extend free school meals.
But he hit out at the government for saying “no, no, no” to footballer Marcus Rashford, who wants free school meals extended, in a special interview by Jamie Oliver.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It may well be in my mind… that providing for better free school meals for a much larger group of the population is the right way forward.
"I think the current kind of Tory dance of 'no, no, no' - and then a footballer jumps up and says 'yes', and they go, 'all right' - is not a good one politically for my party."
Mr Osborne said “things have changed” and schools now have a role as “centres of our community”, but campaigners also have to say “who’s going to pay for it”.
“These are very complex problems, but the overall objective which is having better fed, healthier kids is a good one. I certainly support it," he added.
Elsewhere Mr Osborne also blasted the Tories’ “very disappointing” failure to ban TV junk food ads before the 9pm watershed, after the move was kicked back twice to 2025.
“Conservatives should not be afraid of sensible use of government to improve people's health because, by the way, that also reduces dependency on public services down the road,” he said.
And the ex-Chancellor revealed he would have gone further with his sugar tax - extending it to fruit juices and cakes.
“I would look very seriously at extending the sugar tax to sugary cakes and biscuits and things where the manufacturers can reduce the sugar content,” he said.
Jamie Oliver guest-edited an episode of BBC Radio 4's Today programme as part of his campaign - which comes more than 15 years after his war on Turkey Twizzlers.
He said people who say parents should be responsible for feeding their kids have “never been hungry, or struggled”.
He added: “If, as I have, you have looked into the eyes of parents that are worried about their child being fed... whatever values you put around the society we live in, forget them.
"If parents worry about feeding their children, chaos ensues in many, many, many, many different ways that are immeasurable, directly."
He added free school meals are “by a long, long galactic way, the best value of a taxpayer's buck.
"Why? Because the institution of school is well established. The money spent there is a very trusted, good place, measured place to do it.
"If we don't spend it here it will react elsewhere within the community... and it definitely won't be as cheap."
The Mirror’s campaign to give all primary-aged kids free school meals is backed by city mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, the Child Poverty Action Group, and union chiefs at the TUC, National Education Union and British Medical Association.
It is also backed by 69 figures in civil society including ex-footballer Gary Lineker, single parents’ charity Gingerbread, and 38 MPs.
Left-wing Labour MP Zarah Sultana is trying to change the law to widen eligibility to all primary school pupils. So far the calls have not been adopted by the Labour front bench.
