Political Opinion: David Taylor MP backs move to give free school meals to 4,870 more children in Hemel Hempstead

David Taylor, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has welcomed the Labour government’s plans to deliver a free, nutritious meal every school day for over half a million more children nationwide and 4,870 children in Hemel Hempstead, as Labour puts £500 back into parents’ pockets every year by expanding eligibility for free school meals.

From the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil in Hemel Hempstead whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals. This will make life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most, delivering on Labour’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity and give children the best start in life.

The unprecedented expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Giving children access to a nutritious meal during the school day also leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes – meaning they get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty have been unable to access free school meals under the previous Tory government.

Labour’s historic new expansion to those on Universal Credit will change this and follows the government’s Child Poverty Strategy, which is set to drive the biggest reduction in child poverty in a single Parliament.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets. From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success. We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”

David Taylor, MP for Hemel Hempstead, said: “I know from talking to families on the doorstep, in surgeries and through my casework how deeply the stain of child poverty has impacted households in Hemel Hempstead. That’s why I strongly support this decisive and much‑needed action to expand entitlement to free school meals, lifting children across Hemel Hempstead out of poverty and putting money back in parents’ pockets. Children here deserve the best start in life, and I’m proud that Labour is delivering this through our Plan for Change.”

The decision comes following Labour’s amendment to the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, designed to put children and their wellbeing at the centre of government policy and deliver on Labour’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.

Central to the Bill are measures to cut the cost of sending children to school and make life easier for families in Hemel Hempstead, including a cap on the number of branded school uniform items. Alongside Labour’s plan to introduce Best Start free breakfast clubs in every primary school – set to save families an estimated £450 per year per child – the Bill contains measures that could keep around £500 in parents’ pockets.

In addition to steps to ease the burden on families, Labour has outlined reforms to schools to drive high and rising standards. This includes putting more qualified, expert teachers at the front of classrooms and rolling out a new, cutting‑edge national curriculum designed to ensure young people are ready for work and ready for life.

In response to shocking cases of children being failed by a disjointed system in recent years, the Labour government has also brought forward measures within the Bill to protect children at risk of abuse and stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks.