This week’s Question Time saw David Dimbleby joined by a panel comprised of Emily Thornberry, Roger Helmer, Nicky Morgan, Tasmina Sheikh and Institute of Economic Affairs director Mark Littlewood. With the Budget up for debate, Morgan found herself having to defend her party’s planned cuts. Alas things didn’t go to plan when she appeared to claim that the Budget was merely a suggestion by claiming disability cuts may not actually go through.
‘It is something that has been put forward, there has been a review, there has been a suggestion, we are not ready to bring the legislation forward.’
Next on the agenda was the sugar tax. When it came to the SNP’s Tasmina Sheikh’s turn to answer a question on whether the tax on fizzy drinks was a good thing, she responded by waxing lyrical about the SNP’s free school meal policy:
TS: I would say in terms of public health, whilst I don’t believe it will stop people from drinking sugary drinks, not least children, it will raise awareness in terms of health issues which is an important effect. We need to do something about obesity in this country. Is this going to be the answer? Absolutely not. Can it be part of an answer? Yes it can. In terms of how we encourage the people of this country to eat better.
One of the ways we’re doing that in Scotland is by free school meals which we have for Primary 1 – Primary 3 children where we guarantee a healthy meal every single day, and that’s now being extended…
David Dimbleby attempts to interject
TS: Please, it’s worthwhile listening — I’m talking about children…
DD: We’re actually talking about the sugar tax and soft drinks not about Scotland’s policy on meals for children.
Yet while we’re ‘talking about children’, Mr S can’t help but notice that Sheikh managed to leave out some important information with regards to ‘Scotland’s policy’. This isn’t just a Scottish policy, universal infant free school meals is actually a policy that was first introduced by the Coalition government back in 2014 — with £600 million since spent by the government on trying to implement it.
In fact, the SNP only announced that they would be introducing free school meals after the coalition government did, at which point they were accused of playing a game of catch up by trying to take credit for Westminster policies. Speaking at the time, Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson suggested the SNP were only delivering the policy because the coalition government had first:
‘A cynic might say that the SNP, having promised the earth and failed to deliver for years, has only now re-discovered its commitment to free school meals because the coalition government is delivering it.’
Still, perhaps it was for the best that Sheikh didn’t dwell for too long on the sugar tax — which she claims ‘will make a difference, in terms of raising awareness’. In January, the Times reported that SNP ministers were considering introducing a sugar tax before David Cameron did but were ‘cautious’ about going ‘first’ with the policy…
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