Bridget Phillipson stuck out a post last night attacking the Tories and Reform for not voting with Labour on free school meals:
Labour MPs just voted to expand free school meals to half a million more children, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty.
The Tories and Reform UK voted against.
Only Labour will give children growing up in our country the best start in life.
— Bridget Phillipson (@bphillipsonMP) March 9, 2026
There were eight votes last night on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on a series of Lords amendments, including on uniforms, social media, smartphones et cetera. None of them related to free school meals…
Phillipson might have known that had she showed up for the debate. She is instead touting the DfE’s new V-levels programme today to encourage vocational qualifications. A full rollout plan is meant to come for that in June this year…
In Henry Mance’s piece today for the FT, lunching with Nigel Farage:
“Splendido!” Farage says, when the drinks arrive; I suppose it’s a step to European reconciliation. We clink glasses, and he lights the first of two back-to-back Benson & Hedges. A few minutes later, we’re back downstairs. “Are you drinking? Good.” He orders a glass of Sauvignon blanc for each of us — not a bottle, “because it’s Lent” — followed by a bottle of claret, to have with our meal. They say Farage drinks less than he used to. They say a lot of things.”