Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross was accused of "breathtaking hypocrisy" after hailing a free school meals campaign - but refusing to vote for it.
The Moray MP said Manchester United star Marcus Rashford’s fight is "nothing short of extraordinary".
The comments appeared to distance the Scottish group from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is under growing pressure to cave in to Rashford and fund the policy in England.
But at the same time Ross is refusing to let his colleagues vote for the policy because it only applies to England. The Scottish Government is funding free school meals over holidays already.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard condemned Ross's approach today and said: "It's breath taking hypocrisy for Douglas Ross to seek to attach himself to the inspirational campaign from Marcus Rashford to feed children from low income families, when he failed to vote for this at Westminster when he had the chance to do so.
"It's a gross insult to Marcus Rashford and hard pressed families from Douglas Ross, after he so miserably failed to stand up to Boris Johnson over this issue."
The SNP's deputy leader at Westminster, Kirsten Oswald, accused Ross of "doublespeak".
She added: "As scandalous as the stance is, at least Boris Johnson has the courage to live up to the Tories’ nasty party tag and admit he does not support Marcus Rashford's campaign.
"Shame on Douglas Ross for claiming to support this campaign, while standing on the side-lines when thousands of children in England will go hungry this Christmas break under the watch of his party. He is a rank hypocrite."
Earlier, Ross had written in glowing terms in The Telegraph newspaper about Rashford's campaign, and highlighted his own support for the policy in Scotland while criticising the SNP.
Ross, a part-time referee, claimed his mother's work as a school dinner lady had pushed him to act, showing "the good that providing pupils with healthy, nutritious food can do".
The party will now push for a vote in Holyrood on implementing his policy, the leader said, adding: "I'm going to keep cheering on Marcus Rashford’s campaign in England."
The Scottish Tory leader refused to vote on a motion put forward by Labour in the House of Commons last week, while the five other Scottish Tory MPs in Westminster voted against the motion to support Rashford's campaign.
Ross added: "It's been reported that some of our other MPs did take part. That will no longer be the practice going forward. In future, our MPs will not take part in votes that relate to England only.
"However, the Scottish Conservatives will vote in the Scottish Parliament to support free school meals, and not only during the holidays."
On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised to do "everything in our power" to tackle holiday hunger.
"I totally understand the issue of holiday hunger, it is there, we have to deal with it," he said. "The debate is how do you deal with it."
