Coffey’s rash intervention

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has caused a bit of a storm in the Westminster bubble this morning – the 22-year-old’s plea to the PM to extend free school meals into the summer holiday has not gone unnoticed. 

As Katy Balls writes this morning, there is a growing feeling among Tory backbenchers that the cost of the scheme is small compared to the negative PR generated from falling out with a world-class footballer. 

But it seems the secretary of state for the department of work and pensions didn’t get the memo. Thérèse Coffey decided to fact check one of Rashford’s tweets, pointing out that it’s illegal for water companies to cut off customers’ supply.

While the minister is correct, Mr S has to ask whether her intervention was all that wise considering a looming backbench rebellion over child poverty…