Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has criticised the Government's breakfast clubs plan, arguing that parents should be responsible for feeding their children, not the state.
Speaking to GB News, Philp said the responsibility for ensuring children are well fed in the morning lies "first and foremost" with parents.
He suggested the Labour Government is overstepping by providing universal breakfast provision, including for children from well-off backgrounds.
"It is first and foremost a parent's responsibility to make sure their child is well fed in the morning, well dressed, and properly cared for," Philp told GB News.
Chris Philp hit out at Labour's plans for breakfast clubs in schools
GB News
"That's why there are free school meals already in place for children on the very, very lowest incomes, where their parents genuinely can't afford to look after them," he added.
Philp noted this system has been in place for at least a decade.
"What Labour are doing here is trying to provide free school meals on a universal basis for everybody, including children from well-off backgrounds," Philp continued.
He criticised this approach as wasteful and inappropriate: "That is, frankly, not a good use of taxpayers' money and it is also the Government stepping into an area which should be first and foremost the responsibility of parents," he said.
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Labour's breakfast club has been set up to feed children before school Getty The Shadow Home Secretary also outlined Conservative plans to scrap investigations into non-crime hate incidents, which he described as a waste of police resources.
Philp told GB News that officers are currently spending an estimated 60,000 hours annually investigating incidents that "do not meet the criminal threshold."
"I, and I'm sure your viewers as well, want police to be investigating real crime," Philp claimed.
Philp also claimed police have even become involved in "playground disputes between children, branding it a "total waste of police time when it involves people saying things online".
Philp told GB News that the clubs are 'not a good use of taxpayer money'
GB News
Hailing the free breakfast clubs, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "Our manifesto promised to make parents' lives easier and put more money in their pockets with free breakfast clubs. Under a year since we came into office, this Government is delivering that through our Plan for Change.
"The rollout of free breakfast clubs is a truly game-changing moment for families in this country. They mean parents will no longer be hamstrung by rigid school hours and have the breathing space they need to beat the morning rush, attend work meetings and doctors’ appointments, or run errands. And crucially, it means better life chances for children."
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "Free breakfast clubs are a central part of our Plan for Change. At a time when there is so much pressure on families, they provide real help with the cost of living and ensure children start the day with a nutritious meal.
"On top of the hectic school run, parents should not have to worry about how to balance work and getting their children fed and ready for school. These clubs will break down barriers and help children settle in, focus and get the most out of their learning."
