Jamie Oliver has warned the Tories need an injection of "kindness" to have a shot at the next election as he piled pressure on ministers to widen access to free school meals.
The celebrity chef said there was a "massive gap" between the current threshold to qualify for school dinners and Universal Credit and accused the Government of failing to take it seriously
He said Liz Truss was unlikely to change her views - but said he was "quite calm" as he thinks the new Prime Minister will be a "ship that passes in the night".
Mr Oliver, a longstanding campaigner on school food, is backing calls to extend free school meals to all households receiving Universal Credit.
Research by PwC for Impact on Urban Health, which is published today. found expanding the free school meals scheme could pump up to £41.3bn into the economy over 20 years.
Asked about what he would say to the PM, Mr Oliver said: "I have no faith. We've been tracking her and her views for six, seven years.
"She's not going to change. She has a view, that's it.
"The older me can be a bit calmer because she will be a ship that passes in the night and I'm actually quite calm about the whole thing.
"I think more importantly, the tone and the noise from the public to support a Government that puts child health first... it means that you create an environment where every child has the ability to thrive at school.
"We know in every shape and form that kids who have a lunch and a breakfast that's decent learn better, their educational attainment is better, they do better, they get paid better, they are more productive.
"But no one is taking it seriously."
He said former PM Boris Johnson had to "nearly die and have a child" before he saw his point of view over school lunches.
Asked about getting Mr Johnson "on side" after "having warred with him" over free school meals, he said: "He had to nearly die though and have a child to put him in the frame of mind to do the right thing."
In a message to the Tories, he said: "I think kindness has to be injected through this party if they have got any chance - and I don’t know if they have got it in them to show this kindness.
"Yes being productive and pushing forward of course but at what cost?"
No10 rebuffed the criticism, saying: "This is a Government that takes action to protect people."
The Prime Minister's official spokesman added: "We do provide a significant number of families with free school meals. Obviously we need to make sure we are setting the right balance and we are confident we are achieving that."
The Mirror has joined forces with the National Education Union (NEU) to demand free school meals for all primary schools in England to ensure no child goes hungry.
Our campaign has already been backed by more than 100 campaigners and politicians, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and broadcaster Gary Lineker.
On the PwC report, a Government spokesperson said: “We do not recognise these figures. We have expanded access to free school meals more than any other government in recent decades, which currently reach 1.9 million children.
"We are also investing up to £24m in our National School Breakfast Programme, which provides free breakfasts to children in schools in disadvantaged areas.
“The Chancellor has unveiled a new growth plan, taking decisive action to get households and businesses through this winter and the next, by growing the economy to raise living standards for everyone.”
