A Conservative MP who backed Marcus Rashford's free school meals plan has resigned from the Government.
Caroline Ansell, the MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon, was among five Tory rebels who defied Boris Johnson to back a Labour motion to feed hungry children during the holidays.
The motion was defeated by 322 votes to 261 on Wednesday, as Tory MPs blocked the plan to extend meals to some 1.4 million of the poorest youngsters during the holidays until Easter 2021.
Quitting her post as a parliamentary aide for the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs, Ms Ansell said her "conscience" would not allow her to vote with the Government on the issue.
In a resignation statement on Thursday, Ms Ansell said: "In these unprecedented times, I am very concerned to be doing all we can to help lower-income families and their children who are really struggling due to the impact of the virus."
"Therefore, last night, I voted for Labour’s motion on extending free school meal vouchers until after Easter 2021 for those families in receipt of Universal Credit or an equivalent benefit.
"I do not consider this extension could be in any way a long-term solution to this need, which is complex. There are better ways to help children, including linking meals to activities so they can also benefit from extra-curricular learning and experience.
"However, as we are still very much living in the shadow of the pandemic, vouchers are a lever - not perfect, not sustainable - but one which I thought could be used to reach families in Eastbourne and across the country in the immediate time ahead. I could not in all conscience ignore that belief."
The plan had been championed by Mr Rashford, who successfully forced the Government into a u-turn on free school meals in the summer.
The England and Manchester United striker said children would go to bed hungry and "feeling like they do not matter" after ugly clashes in the Commons.
But he vowed to continue fighting for vulnerable children, saying: "For as long as they don't have a voice, they will have mine."
Earlier, Tory Minister Kit Malthouse moaned Rashford's criticism of the free school meals defeat is "unfair" in a round of broadcast
"While I understand that Marcus Rashford is coming from a strong sense of duty towards society and has good motives - so are we," he told the BBC.
"We just think there is a different way to help those families and that is through the welfare system."
He also failed to deny Tory whips briefed MPs on attack lines against free school meals.
Asked if MPs were told to gang up on the footballer, Mr Malthouse told Sky News: "I don't think it's necessarily ganging up, it's standard practice during any debate for political parties to issue briefs with suggested lines."
