Prime Minister champions action on child health and school food

In an interview broadcast on ITV's Lorraine show, the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has opened up about his own views on tackling child poverty, improving dietary health outcomes and the importance of nutritious school food, championing the roles of multiple partners in helping to deliver it. 

In the interview from a Downing Street reception with multiple organisations and businesses, the Prime Minister reasserted his own support for tackling child poverty ahead of the forthcoming budget, where the government is under pressure to lift the two-child limit on child benefit. Sir Keir Starmer then went on to talk about the power of school food to improve children's health and educational outcomes, and support action on obesity and tooth decay. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

"We're proving the concept that good nutritious food is obviously better for children and guess what, they do like it more.  it more, and it goes beyond just getting a good meal a day, because the two biggest issues for children are obesity and tooth decay. What we're doing here is important on all those fronts - we've proven the concept and now we've just got to get on and roll it all out.

"There is this myth that you can't get your kids to eat good, healthy and nutritious food. That's often thrown at those doing free school meals, that you've got to have some of the cheaper brands. Not true. You can do it, it's much better food and the kids like it, and that's what we've got to do across the country." 

Responding to the PM's words, Children's Food Campaign Manager Barbara Crowther says:

"It's fantastic to hear the Prime Minister's speak about his own passion for the superpowers of school food in supporting children's health, learning and tackling child poverty. 

"The government is supporting more breakfast clubs, more free school meals than ever before, we're moving slowly but steadily to our long term vision of universal healthy, sustainable school food for all, regardless of background or income. We want to see current expansion underpinned by robust school food standards and a proper monitoring system to ensure good food on the plate.

"Let's also make sure any partnership thinking extends to a fair deal for the farmers behind the food on school plates - school meals have the power not just to deliver a massive boost in children's health, but also a multi-million pound boost to our farming economy, if aligned to the government's commitment to 50% local, sustainable and British sourcing for public sector food." 

The interview took place against a backdrop of multiple policy reforms that have been championed by the Government in recent months which include:

• support for universally accessible school breakfast clubs in all primary schools. 750 early adopter schools are already testing out the approach, and a further 2000 primary schools due to join the programme in 2026.  
• expansion of free school meals to all children in England in households receiving Universal Credit from September 2026
• a review of School Food Standards to bring them into line with the latest SACN nutritional guidance on reducing sugar and artificial sweeteners and increasing fibre, led jointly by the Department for Education and Department for Health and Social Care.
• an independent review of the school curriculum, which has recommended increasing focus on climate change and sustainability, and greater clarity on the education pathways on food and nutrition.
• development of a cross-governmental food strategy aiming to ensure access to healthy, sustainable food and a climate resilient, economically viable food and farming sector, as well as celebrating local food cultures.
• A commitment to ensuring at least 50% of all public sector food spending comes from local, sustainable and British sources. Around 60% of the £5 billion in public sector food is spent in schools.
• Implementation of a 10 year health plan that will introduce mandatory healthy food reporting and a new Healthy Food Standard for business, a 9pm watershed and online ban on advertising certain types of high fat, salt and/or sugar food and drink, and the current consultation on banning the sales of high caffeine energy drinks to children.

Have your say on energy drinks

Our views on breakfast club partnerships

Our response to the curriculum review report