The government has backed down on its plans to abolish free school meals for infants after substantial pressure. The u-turn, the latest in a string of reversals by Prime Minister Theresa May, means the flagship Lib Dem policy stays on the statute books.

Free school meals had been under threat for apparent reasons relating to their cost, with the Conservatives promising to replace them instead with free breakfasts, which came under heavy criticism after it was revealed only around 7p would be provided for each.

The free school meal policy, introduced by the Liberal Democrats in 2014, has been a continuing target for Conservative cuts in recent months, with debate about them flaring up. An internal Lib Dem source told The Torch that the party was “delighted”.

“Feeding children a healthy meal every day has been shown to improve attainment and happiness in school, removing barriers to opportunity for poorer children – it’s excellent to see that this core Liberal Democrat policy, which expands opportunity for those who need it most, is staying in place.”