Only this government could miss the open goal of free school meals | Marina Hyde

If it weren’t so serious, there would be deep comedy in seeing Marcus Rashford run rings around Boris Johnson’s lot

Will nobody think of the prime ministers? Everyone has a story of deprivation that has stuck with them during this pandemic, and mine is one of a selection offered by “friends” of Boris Johnson, who were so concerned about his household finances a month ago that they went to the Daily Mail about it. We pick up the scene at a private gathering for some of these friends at the PM’s country retreat, with Johnson holding court: “‘Enjoy it,’ he said before bellowing down the long dining table at Chequers: ‘Eat every scrap. I have to pay for this you know!’”

Like me, your tears may have spontaneously liquefied at multiple such reports in recent months. If you missed them, let me summarise: a man who applied for a job which pays almost £160,000 a year with hugely substantial benefits is apparently feeling unable to manage on almost £160,000 a year with hugely substantial benefits. Yet this is only the half of it. “The food wasn’t even very good,” Johnson’s friend told the Mail, “but the real tragedy is that Boris can’t really afford to entertain on any kind of scale. I am not going to accept another invitation because it seems unfair that he should fork out to feed me when he hasn’t got any money.”

Related: UK coronavirus live: Covid-19 death toll passes 60,000

Matt Hancock attempting to header a ball is exactly what I thought Matt Hancock attempting to header a ball would look like pic.twitter.com/fXo80XJCsD

Related: Why is the government being so pig-headed about free school meals? | Gaby Hinsliff

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kERpkE