Seven DUP MPs under fire after failing to vote for free school meals proposal backed by Marcus Rashford

In Northern Ireland on Thursday, DUP Education Minister Peter Weir welcomed the extension of free school meals to children here over the Halloween break.

A proposal for the government at Westminster to take the same action, put forward by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer following a campaign by the Premier League footballer Marcus Rashford, was voted down by the Conservative Party.

Only one DUP MP voted in favour of the Labour proposal, Jim Shannon, while the other seven DUP MPs did not take part.

On Thursday, Mr Weir said: “I welcome the decision taken by the Executive today to extend this vital support over the Halloween break for families struggling financially due to Covid-19.”

UUP MLA Doug Beattie criticised the DUP MPs who didn’t vote “I’m slightly disappointed in the DUP MPs and this is why — we are a union and unionists should be looking after the families in England as they do in Northern Ireland, as they do in Scotland and in Wales.

“It would have been right for Northern Ireland MPs to be in the House of Commons to vote and to try and make sure families in England had the right to those meals.”

A DUP spokesperson said: “This was an opposition ‘take note’ motion related to free school meals in England but is one that we support and indeed the Executive will implement in Northern Ireland.

“DUP MPs had returned to their constituencies to deal with the urgent and pressing issues in the communities they represent. This includes getting priority help to families and children who now face a winter of poverty due to widespread redundancies as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus.”

The DUP spokesperson continued: “Our Spokesperson on this issue, Jim Shannon, remained in parliament and voted in favour of the Motion on free school meals on behalf of the DUP. Proxy votes are only available to MPs for medical or public health reasons linked to the coronavirus pandemic.”

SDLP MPs Claire Hanna and Colum Eastwood voted in favour of the Labour proposal, with Ms Hanna voting by proxy. Alliance MP Stephen Farry also backed the proposal by proxy vote.