Marcus Rashford’s bid to extend free school meals through the holidays to help feed hungry children has been voted down by Tory MPs – but how did our constituency MPs vote?

Labour’s motion, which called for the scheme to be extended over school holidays until Easter 2021, was defeated by 261 votes to 322.

England and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford took to twitter after the vote to voice his frustrations with ‘party politics’.

The 22-year-old striker said: “A significant number of children are going to bed tonight not only hungry but feeling like they do not matter because of comments that have been made today.

“We must stop stigmatising, judging and point fingers. Our views are being clouded by political affiliation. This is not politics, this is humanity.”

Below is how the MPs from across our wide range of patches voted:

MPs who voted for extending free school meals

  • Robert Halfon, Harlow, Conservative – one of only five Tories to vote for the motion
  • Wes Streeting, Ilford North, Labour
  • Sam Tarry, llford South, Labour
  • Stella Creasy, Walthamstow, Labour
  • Gareth Thomas, Harrow West, Labour
  • Catherine West, Hornsey and Wood Green, Labour
  • David Lammy, Tottenham, Labour
  • Feryal Clark, Enfield North, Labour
  • Daisy Cooper, St Albans, Liberal Democrats

MPs who voted against extending free school meals

  • Alex Burghart, Brentwood and Ongar, Conservative
  • Dean Russell, Watford, Conservative
  • Iain Duncan Smith, Chingford and Woodford Green, Conservative
  • Bob Blackman, Harrow East, Conservative
  • Gagan Mohindra, South West Hertfordshire, Conservative
  • David Simmonds, Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, Conservative
  • Mike Freer, Finchley and Golders Green, Conservative
  • Oliver Downden, Hertsmere, Conservative
  • Mike Penning, Hemel Hempstead, Conservative
  • Bim Afolami, Hithchin and Harpenden, Conservative

Reaction

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the Conservatives had voted to let the more than 1.4 million children eligible for free school meals go hungry through the holidays.

“Tonight I voted to feed our country’s vulnerable and needy children. The Tories voted to let them go hungry,” she tweeted, adding: “I voted for workers facing hardship in areas under lockdown to get 80 per cent of their incomes. The Tories voted against it. That’s all you need to know.”

Chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group Alison Garnham said Britain had “reached a low point if in the midst of a pandemic we decide we can’t make sure children in the lowest income families have a nutritious meal in the middle of the day”.

“Tonight’s vote means more children going without and more desperately anxious parents – just as a coronavirus winter approaches,” Ms Garnham said.

“In short it ducks our moral responsibility to protect the country’s most vulnerable children.

“It will not sit well with all those people from many walks of life who back Marcus Rashford because they do not want child poverty to be ignored any longer.”