Fury as Reform determine makes ‘dad and mom’ job’ criticism of free breakfast golf equipment
Free breakfast clubs provide a minimum of 30 minutes of free childcare and a healthy breakfast before the school day – they are said to save working parents up to £450 a year
Nigel Farage with Head of Kent County Council, Linden Kemkaran (right)(Image: PA)
Reform UK is under fire after a key party figure criticised Labour’s free breakfast clubs, saying it is “parents’ job” to start their kids’ days right.
Linden Kemkaran, the leader of Reform’s flagship Kent Council Council, wrote on social media: “Sorry, call me old fashioned but I believe it’s the parents’ job to give their child the best possible start to the school day.”
Free breakfast clubs provide a minimum of 30 minutes of free childcare and a healthy breakfast before the school day. The Department for Education (DfE) says they save working parents up to £450 a year.
A Labour source said: “You’d think Nigel and co would back something that promotes work and responsibility, but they’d rather attack it than stand up for working families. Breakfast clubs give children the best start to the school day and help parents work more to support their families. Reform are making their position crystal clear – they don’t mind if kids go hungry.”
Labour also pointed there are 29 breakfast clubs in Kent, with more to come.
In April, Labour’s flagship scheme was extended to 500 more schools, benefiting some 300,000 students. It followed 750 schools joining a pilot of the scheme last year. More will join the programme from September. Labour has promised for every primary school in England to have a free breakfast club by the end of the Parliament.
Bridget Phillipson has previously said free breakfasts are “revolutionising morning routines” across the country. “From settling a child into the school day to helping parents get to work, free breakfast clubs are giving every child the best start in life,” the Education Secretary said.
“I was raised by a single parent, so I know first-hand the struggles facing parents trying to make ends meet and how important it is to tackle outdated stigmas with practical support that people can feel every day.”
The Department for Education says free breakfast clubs mean help parents with childcare at the start of the school day at no extra costs.
It means parents can drop their children off half an hour earlier, helping parents get into work and giving them up to 95 additional hours back to juggle busy mornings.
The latest rollout of clubs prioritised schools with the highest proportion of pupils on free school meals to ensure that the real-life impact of free breakfast clubs goes first to where it is most needed.
Reform UK declined to comment.
