The House of Commons last night voted through reforms to Universal Credit (which Labour opposes in principle). As is now normal with a crucial vote, Labour instigated a co-ordinated outrage storm when their statutory instrument failed…



The Tories and the DUP have just voted through cuts to free school meals in England. The Tories bought the DUP’s support by excluding Northern Ireland from these cuts. A disgraceful tactic which is playing politics with the health of our children.https://t.co/3PhbHl0iB2 — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) 13 March 2018

So sorry about this, we tried our best but government voted against us on our motion for free school meals, we will continue to campaign for #freeschoolmeals for the poorest children https://t.co/ANfGyE4Xa8 — Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) 13 March 2018

Rayner told the House:

“1 million children growing up in poverty will lose out on free school meals that they would have been entitled to. “

Earlier in his response to the Spring Statement, John McDonnell had claimed:

“Today the Government are even trying to deprive 1 million children of a decent school dinner.”

Awkwardly for Labour, fact checking organisations have probed that one million claim and found it wanting. A Channel 4 investigation found:

“No one who is currently eligible for free school meals under Universal Credit will lose their entitlement. In fact, under Universal Credit, 50,000 more children will receive school meals by 2022 than would have done under the previous benefits system. This is not a case of the government taking free school meals from a million children who are currently receiving them: it’s about comparing two future, hypothetical scenarios. Both of them are more generous than the old benefits system.”

That didn’t stop ‘get on your knees, b*tch’ Clive Lewis calling Esther McVey: