Giving more children access to free school meals is a "no brainer" that would fire up the economy, the boss of Tesco has said.
John Allan, the supermarket’s chairman, warned that Tory ministers are failing hundreds of thousands of kids from less well off families who are being deprived of free dinners by strict eligibility rules.
"Extending free school meal support is much more than an emergency measure in difficult times," he said. "It’s an investment in the potential of every single child and their futures."
The business chief gave his backing to a campaign by youth-led group Bite Back 2030, which is pushing to extend eligibility to youngsters living in poverty who are missing out on free dinners.
Around 1.7 million pupils in England whose families are entitled to Universal Credit are not eligible for free lunches, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Currently, all kids get free school dinners up to the end of Year 2 and then they only qualify if their households receive certain benefits.
Children whose families who get Universal Credit are eligible if their household's post-tax earnings are less than £7,400 a year.
The Mirror has joined forces with the National Education Union (NEU) to urge tight-fisted ministers to extend free school meals to all primary school children to end hunger and improve their life chances.
Expansion of the benefit has been backed by a string of high-profile figures, including Gary Lineker, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, top chef Tom Kerridge and the Government's ex-food tsar Henry Dimbleby.
Writing for the Mirror, Mr Allan said the Government had missed a key opportunity to bolster the workforce and level up the country by failing to extend free school meals to kids in Universal Credit households.
He said: “Improving young people’s employability skills and kick-starting their careers is a cornerstone of a successful business.
"It’s astounding that before they even get a chance to begin their careers with us, hundreds of thousands of young people living in poverty are being held back by a policy failure that denies them their most basic right: access to a nutritious and sustaining meal in school."
Mr Allan added: "The case for action is overwhelmingly popular. It seems like an economic, political and moral no brainer. In a political landscape where these are hard to come by, I hope the Government will recognise this opportunity."
Around 22.5% of pupils in England are eligible for free school meals, according to the latest Government data.
This amounts to around 1.9 million kids.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The number of children receiving a free meal at school has increased by more than two million since 2010, thanks to the introduction of universal infant free school meals and the generous protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to universal credit.
“Over a third of pupils in England now receive free school meals in education settings, compared with one in six in 2010, and we have made a further investment in the National School Breakfast Programme to extend the programme for another year, backed by up to £30 million.”
