England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford stepped up his campaign on Tuesday for the government to extend free school meals for the poorest children, drawing widespread support amid concerns about families struggling during the coronavirus lockdown. The article follows an open letter Rashford wrote to MPs, which has drawn huge support from across the political spectrum - including from inside Johnson's Conservative party. When Britain's schools were shut in March, pupils eligible for free meals were offered vouchers instead. "I and this government will continue to actively help and support families and businesses through this emergency and beyond," she said in a tweet. Conservative MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education committee, noted that other forms of government support were more complicated to access than free school meals.

Source: News 24 June 16, 2020 10:51 UTC