Interviewing The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer

It was an surprising honour to obtain an invitation from 10 Downing Road, inviting me to interview The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, final week.

Visiting St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School on Thursday November twentieth 2025, I used to be capable of see first-hand the success of the primary 500 Greatest Begin free breakfast golf equipment in major colleges rolled out within the UK, with a name to tender for an additional 500 launched that day with an utility date in spring 2026, and plans for an additional 1500. Ultimately the PM stated, he hopes for a breakfast membership in each major faculty within the UK to help all mother and father.

My interview will likely be dwell this week so I’ll return to incorporate the footage right here however I wished to share the feat of the federal government with an initiative aiding firstly the 1 in 3 households unable to afford breakfast for his or her kids and all mother and father, together with the time-short working mother and father who will be capable of entry free childcare and breakfast on a morning, as a step in direction of supporting the infrastructure within the office, which is missing for fogeys, in so some ways.

I’ve outlined the important thing particulars and advantages of those breakfast golf equipment under:

• Dad and mom throughout the nation are set to save lots of as much as £450 per yr as free breakfast membership rollout targets areas the place households are struggling most with the price of dwelling.
• Purposes open right now for first 500 colleges to begin in April 2026, with 1,500 extra to comply with in September – a part of wider funding in public providers to spice up alternatives and financial development.
• Funding price elevated by 28% for a median faculty, serving to increase number of wholesome breakfast choices at golf equipment whereas delivering worth for taxpayers.

Half a million extra kids will profit from Best Start free breakfast clubs from April, delivering actual aid to households scuffling with the rising price of dwelling while investing within the foundations of future financial development.

Purposes opened final Thursdaay for the following wave of 500 colleges with 40% of pupils on free faculty meals to learn from the programme, as the federal government invests £80 million in the appropriate locations to offer each youngster the most effective begin in life – recognising {that a} wholesome, well-educated inhabitants is important for a thriving economic system.

The transfer presents rapid assist to working mother and father juggling childcare prices by saving them as much as £450 and giving again as much as 95 hours of time – over two and a half working weeks every year. That’s a reimbursement in pockets and time again in busy lives, serving to households with the price of dwelling while making certain kids are able to study and succeed.

The federal government has elevated the per youngster funding price for mainstream colleges to £1, making good on its dedication to roll out golf equipment with a number of wholesome meals. Colleges can even obtain a assured £25 a day to cowl staffing and admin so each sort of college can simply ship a breakfast membership. For a median faculty with 50% take up, the entire funding package deal has elevated by 28%.

The robust selections they’ve made to stabilise the economic system have enabled them to spend money on public providers, together with free breakfast golf equipment, and the Finances will additional ship on their plan for nationwide renewal by boosting alternative for all.

As we speak’s announcement builds on the federal government’s selections to prioritise funding to assist households with the price of dwelling equivalent to increasing free faculty meals to each household on Common Credit score, which can carry 100,000 kids out of poverty, capping branded faculty uniform gadgets, and introducing 30 hours funded childcare to working mother and father, saving them as much as £7,500 per yr.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated:

 “I grew up in a household the place each invoice mattered, and I do know what it appears like for fogeys attempting to make ends meet. That’s why serving to households with the price of dwelling is my primary precedence.

“Free breakfast golf equipment are already a lifeline for fogeys, and now we’re going additional to ship on that promise – starting the nationwide rollout. Not solely that, however we’re prioritising these communities feeling the sharpest squeeze, tackling each the price of dwelling and youngster poverty head-on.

“This isn’t nearly saving mother and father time and cash; it’s about investing within the subsequent technology to offer them the most effective begin in life.”

Schooling Secretary, Bridget Phillipson stated:

“That is nationwide renewal in motion – breaking down boundaries so each youngster will get the most effective begin in life, no matter their background.

“By rolling out free breakfast golf equipment to half a million extra kids, we’re not simply filling empty stomachs, we’re supercharging the nation’s morning routines.

“That is about constructing a nation the place background doesn’t imply future, the place we spend money on our kids’s futures, and the place we ship the actual change working households desperately want.”

By prioritising colleges with the very best proportion of pupils on free faculty meals the rollout ensures the real-life influence of free breakfast golf equipment goes first to the place it’s most wanted, serving to to spend money on the nation’s financial future.

Proof gathered via the check and study section exhibits multiple in three mother and father (38%) discover it troublesome to offer their youngster a wholesome breakfast earlier than faculty, with fussy consuming (36%) and time (28%) being the primary boundaries.

As a essential a part of the Plan for Change, a additional 1,500 major colleges will begin providing the free golf equipment in September 2026, with functions on account of open in January, altogether serving to to increase advantages to over 200,000 extra underprivileged kids in a little over a yr of the programme launching.

Altering morning routines is not going to solely assist guarantee no youngster begins the day hungry however enhance attendance, attainment and future life possibilities. With 5 million free breakfasts already served, the golf equipment are already serving to guarantee a youngster’s background won’t ever be a barrier to alternative.

Amongst kids aged 5-7, breakfast golf equipment have been confirmed to spice up common attainment by the equal of two months’ progress in maths, studying and writing.  Higher instructional outcomes imply higher job prospects, larger earnings and a stronger economic system – demonstrating how investing in public providers right now drives financial development tomorrow.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves stated:

 “Our free breakfast golf equipment are making certain over half a million extra kids don’t begin the varsity day hungry, and save working mother and father round £450 a yr.

“We’re launching this within the elements of the nation that want it most — serving to to carry payments down for households throughout Britain.

“However we all know there’s extra to do, which is why at my Finances I’ll make the honest selections to chop NHS ready lists, lower nationwide debt and lower the price of dwelling.”

By saving much more mother and father as much as £450 per yr, cash goes again into communities to allow them to select how one can spend it. The focused strategy drives extra safety, respect and alternative again into society so households and youngsters can get on in life.

This follows the check and study section that efficiently delivered 750 golf equipment up and down the nation, serving to to supply a delicate supportive begin to kids and a lifeline to working mother and father.

In a landmark transfer to go even additional, the federal government’s pro-business strategy has secured new trade partnerships with Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Weetabix in addition to Magic Breakfast for present early adopter colleges till July 2026.

This may guarantee high British manufacturers may also help colleges profit from reductions and free deliveries and youngsters to have entry to more healthy, different meals.

Duncan Jacques, Chief Govt Officer of Exceed Academies Belief stated:

“Free breakfast golf equipment have made a actual distinction for youngsters and households at Exceed Academies Belief, with over a hundred kids attending each day.”

“They assist our kids begin the day settled and able to study and we’ve seen enhancements in attendance and punctuality. Following a nutritious breakfast kids are extra capable of deal with their schoolwork and are eager to succeed.”

“Following the success of the check and study section, the programme is now rolling out nationally. Growing the funding price will guarantee trusts like ours maintain providing this useful assist and the golf equipment stay of top quality.”

It comes forward of the upcoming Baby Poverty Technique, the place each lever associated to employment, housing, kids’s well being, childcare and training will likely be examined to enhance kids’s life possibilities.

Jason Elsom, Chief Govt of Parentkind, the UK’s largest father or mother charity stated:

“In fashionable Britain it’s totally unacceptable that any youngster sits in a classroom with an empty abdomen. Breakfast golf equipment will not be a luxurious; they’re a lifeline.

“This programme will put meals in hungry tummies, calm the chaos of the morning rush.

“If we’re severe about kids turning up, settling down, and reaching their potential, we should get the fundamentals proper.

“Ensuring each youngster begins the day secure, welcome, and nicely fed is a highly effective assertion of intent concerning the form of nation we need to be.”

Stephanie Slater, Chief Govt of Faculty Meals Issues, a charity devoted to enhancing faculty meals stated:

“It’s so refreshing to work with a authorities division dedicated to a check and study course of – follow informing coverage!

“The Early Adopters Scheme has been designed to establish what works nicely and handle any challenges to supply.

“As we speak’s announcement exhibits that the Division for Schooling is taking this course of severely; studying from the early adopters in order that kids, households and colleges can benefit from the a number of advantages a breakfast membership has to supply.”

To seek out out extra data in your faculty, please see: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/childcare-early-years-education/breakfast-clubs-wraparound-childcare.

References

An analysis of the Magic Breakfast membership scheme discovered that amongst kids aged 5-7, common attainment improved by the equal of two months’ progress in maths, studying and writing.

A mean sized mainstream faculty with 50% take-up is anticipated to obtain £6.5k extra, for a complete of £29,500 yearly, up from £23,000.