Liberal Democrats in Great Grimsby are calling on the local Conservatives to disown their plans to abolish universal free school meals for infant-aged children or to justify it.

The Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to news that the Conservative manifesto announced that the Conservatives will axe universal free school meals that were introduced by Liberal Democrats when they were part of the Coalition Government.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Steve Beasant, said:

“Margaret Thatcher was know as the ‘milk snatcher’. Theresa May will go down as the lunch snatcher.

“This is a heartless policy that will cost struggling parents £500 a year for each infant aged child. So much for Theresa May caring about the ‘Just About Managing’.

“Giving infants free school meals was a major achievement of the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government, and we have committed in our manifesto to ensuring that every child in primary school will be guaranteed at least one hot meal a day.

“I challenge the Conservative candidate in Great Grimsby to disown these lunch-snatching plans or to justify to struggling families why they should be paying more.

“Liberal Democrats want to give all our children a brighter future in a fairer Britain where people are decent to each other, with good schools and hospitals, a clean environment and an innovative economy. Not Theresa May’s cold, mean spirited Britain.”