Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie has criticised Labour's free breakfast club policy, arguing it risks turning Britain into a nation of "subsidy junkies".
Speaking on GB News, MacKenzie said he supports helping families who are "completely broke" but objects to extending the scheme to middle-class and wealthy working-class families.
"I'm in favour of helping the absolutely skint, I am not in favour of this general idea of turning our entire nation into subsidy junkies," he said.
He claimed parents won't provide breakfast if the government pays for it instead.
Kelvin MacKenzie fears Labour turning the nation into 'subsidy junkies'
GB NEWS / PA
The breakfast club scheme is set to launch at 750 schools across England this week, offering 30 minutes of morning childcare to thousands of parents.
The trial will run until July, ahead of an expected national rollout.
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Labour's breakfast club has been set up to feed children before school Getty Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the initiative would help with "breaking down barriers to opportunity" for children.
Ministers expect the scheme to give parents of primary-aged children up to 95 additional hours and save them £450 per year in childcare costs.
Labour committed £315 million to the programme by 2028-29 in their manifesto.
MacKenzie also challenged the government's claim that breakfast clubs will tackle truancy issues.
Kelvin MacKenzie joined Patrick Christys on GB News
GB NEWS
"Breakfast clubs have been around since the 1990s and all that has happened since that period is an explosion in a number of kids not attending school," he said.
He argued there's "no correlation" to support the idea that "children do better if they get free food".
"If you're a socialist and you want your child to do well, why don't you arrange for that child to go to school without having to be given some granola?" MacKenzie added.
School leaders have warned the pilot could lead to budget shortfalls, with many saying the funding "just isn't sufficient".
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: "While we welcome the intentions behind the programme, the initial feedback we are hearing from many school leaders participating in the pilot is that the funding just isn't sufficient."
He added that schools "can ill-afford to subsidise this shortfall" when budgets are already stretched.
The trial was initially backed by £7 million, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves later allocating more than £30 million for 2025-26.
The Government has previously insisted the funding will be sufficient to deliver the programme.
NASUWT teaching union general secretary Patrick Roach said the rollout would make a "significant contribution" to tackling child hunger but urged ministers to go "much further".
The Conservatives have criticised Labour's approach to family support.
Shadow education minister Neil O'Brien claimed: "Labour talk tough on helping families but since being in office they punished 170,000 families by scrapping our planned reforms to the child benefit charge."
He added: "Children and their families deserve better."
