More than 25,000 children in Leeds are facing the prospect of potentially going hungry during lockdown, new analysis suggests.
With October half term looming on the horizon while the city is in lockdown, senior politicians in Leeds have called on the government to do more.
It comes after Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford saw a petition to properly fund free meals over the school holidays rejected by the UK government.
The England striker, who succeeded in forcing a government U-turn on the withdrawal of holiday food vouchers earlier this year, vowed to keep fighting and said: "This is not going away anytime soon and neither am I..."
In response, a spokesperson for No 10 said Universal Credit was the best way to support struggling families.
Now the Labour Party has claimed there are 25,488 youngsters in Leeds who could go without meals over October half term.
Cllr Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City's Council's executive member for Learning, Skills and Employment, said: "Children in Leeds have had a really rough year – this incompetent government should be supporting them, not leaving them to go hungry.
"We can all feel how much the new lockdown restriction are affecting our lives – and that’s making it much harder for families to earn a living and put food on the table. It is utterly ridiculous that at a time when we should all be pulling together this government is leaving local parents to fend for themselves.
"Ministers have been too slow at every stage during this crisis. So instead of waiting to the last minute they should act now and keep free school meals going through half-term – they should stand by local families just like we have stood with the rest of the country in fighting this terrible disease."
Further analysis from Labour suggests that 1.44 million children across the country are in the same position, with areas currently in lockdown - including Leeds - set to be the worst affected.
They also say that providing free schools meals over half term would cost just £22 million.
In response to Rashford's failed petition last week, a government spokesperson said: "We took that decision to extend free school meals during the pandemic when schools were partially closed during lockdown. We're in a different position now with schools back open to all pupils.
"It's not for schools to regularly provide food to pupils during the school holidays. We believe the best way to support families outside of term time is through Universal Credit rather than government subsidising meals."
