LABOUR’S free school meals policy would help 14,449 children in York, the city centre’s MP has said.

Jeremy Corbyn who announced the policy said VAT charged on private school fees would pay for free school meals for all primary school children.

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, backed the plan and said: “Children from all backgrounds should get a healthy meal at school.

“In York, the attainment gap is much larger than the national average and it is getting worse. Just 26 per cent of children from low-income households in York are gaining A-level qualifications or equivalent; compared to 68 per cent for all children in York."

She added: “I welcome the partnership work that is currently being done through the York Independent State School Partnership (ISSP) to provide courses and extra teaching to state schools. But the attainment gap is growing and we must continue to develop policies that increase opportunity for all our young people, so that they are all supported to reach their potential.”

Labour have said research confirmed by the National Centre for Social Research and the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown offering universal access to free school meals improves educational attainment through improvements in pupils’ productivity.