E-Paper

UAE

Life and Living

World

Opinion

Business

Sports

Entertainment

Dubai World Cup

lifestyle

Travel

Reviews

Brands

Supplements

KT Events

KT APPDOWNLOAD

UK PM Johnson bows to Rashford's pressure to provide summer food fund

Top Stories

Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed announces Dh30-billion rain drainage network

Paid parking in Dubai: Residents face up to Dh4,000 extra yearly costs when new rates kick in

UAE: Worker wins Dh1 million in National Bonds draw after saving Dh100 every month
Manchester Unted's player Marcus Rashford had written a long letter to the UK government. -- AFP
Manchester Unted's player Marcus Rashford had written a long letter to the UK government. -- AFP

London - British ministers originally said food vouchers given out by schools would not be available

By Reuters

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

Published: Tue 16 Jun 2020, 5:13 PM

Last updated: Tue 16 Jun 2020, 7:15 PM

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will provide a summer food fund for struggling families in England, bowing to pressure from England forward Marcus Rashford and his campaign to prevent children from going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.
British ministers originally said food vouchers given out by schools would not be available over the long summer holiday, prompting the 22-year-old Manchester United forward to take up the cause and reveal how he had relied on such support as a boy.
Before a debate in parliament, and as some lawmakers from the governing Conservative Party called for a change, Johnson's spokesman said the government would be providing a Covid summer food fund costing around £120 million ($150 million).
"Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this we will be providing a Covid summer food fund," his spokesman said.
Rashford had written a long letter to the government setting out how he had relied on food parcels as a boy and urging ministers to help those families now who were "existing on a knife's edge".
"I don't even know what to say," he said on Twitter of the change in policy. "Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020."



More news from