Do you want free meals for primary school kids in Peckham Rye?

Tonight, Southwark Labour will propose an alternative budget to the one put forward by the Lib Dems and Tories. This will make it crystal clear what the differences are between your local party candidates. Southwark Labour's proposals would cut wasteful spending on consultants and introduce free school meals for all primary school children.

Our part of South London currently has the highest levels of childhood obesity in the country, along with high levels of child poverty and relatively low levels of school attainment. Your Peckham Rye Labour candidates believe that if we are to improve the life-chances of Southwark’s children and defuse the obesity time bomb we must take some bold decisions.

Giving every primary school child in our borough a free, healthy school meal at lunchtime would remove the stigma of free school meals for those 1,800 children who are currently entitled to them but don’t take them up. It would ease the burden on those families who live just above the current level of entitlement for free school meals. And it would guarantee every child a healthy, balanced meal at lunchtime, where – according to recent research – currently only 1% of packed lunches meet the government’s nutritional standard for school meals. For the record, this measure is being strongly opposed by Peckham Rye Lib Dem and Tory candidates. Why? I wish I could tell you.

So if you think that free school meals for all primary school children is the right choice for Southwark then sign our petition here.

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