Lib Dems pledge to provide free school meals to all primary school children

The Liberal Democrats want to provide free school meals to all primary school children, in a manifesto pledge they said would be funded by a tax on share buybacks.

The party said it would start by immediately extending the scheme to provide school meals to all 900,000 children living in poverty who currently miss out.

Under the plan, all primarily school children would be able to get free school meals once public finances stabilise.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said it was “the most ambitious plan for free school meals of any party”.

He said: “Across the country, I hear heartbreaking stories of children going to school with empty packed lunch boxes as parents struggle to cover even the basic costs.

“Conservative MPs should hang their heads in shame at a legacy of children going hungry in the worst cost of living crisis in a generation.

“Children cannot be expected to learn on empty stomachs with no guarantee of a hot meal when they get home.

“It is time for change and a government which cares about the wellbeing of children and their futures.”

Children in reception, year 1 and year 2 can all already get free school meals. But from year 3 and above, eligibility depends on family income.

The party said its pledge would be funded by a 4% levy on the share buybacks of FTSE 100 listed corporations, similar to the excise tax on buybacks implemented by President Joe Biden in the US.

This could raise around £1.4bn a year, according to the Liberal Democrats.

A share buyback is when a company buys back its own shares from the market. This reduces the number of shares on the market and increases the value of remaining shares.

The Lib Dems said that these transactions are mainly carried out by oil and gas giants, banks and large corporations that own a number of food and consumer goods brands.