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Anger over school meals vote as protest staged outside MPs office in Hednesford

Protestors described an MP as a 'disgrace' as they gathered outside her office in Staffordshire to demand an end to food poverty.

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Protesters gathered outside the office of Amanda Milling office in Hednesford following the MP’s vote against extending free meals

Labour supporters and councillors held a socially distanced protest outside Chairman of the Conservative party and MP for Cannock Chase Amanda Milling's office in Hednesford.

It comes after Ms Milling was one of 322 MPs that voted against the decision to extend free school meals for schoolchildren over the holidays - a campaign started by Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford.

Attendees held banners and signs, with slogans 'Feed the children', 'End food poverty' and 'Stop the Tories starving children'.

They also stuck empty paper dinner plates with powerful messages to the outside of the MP's office such as 'Mean Milling', Disgrace, feed the kids' and 'Eat nowt to help out, end child poverty'.

The protest was organised by Ryan Tipton, aged 19, from Hednesford, who is a youth officer for Labour.

Speaking about the protest, he said: "In Staffordshire, Cannock Chase has got the highest number of children claiming free school meals, I believe its 2,170.

"So when we hear our MP has voted against it it's just disgraceful.

"We felt that, although we are at the height of a pandemic that something needed to be done.

"We have come out here today to make it clear that we want to hear why our local MP has voted that way and why she thinks that it is acceptable."

A number of people spoke to the crowd that gathered on Market Street and gave speeches and chanted 'Feed our children'.

Passers by in cars beeped their horns, shouted and cheered as they drove past.

The protest is one of many which have been held across the Black Country and Staffordshire this week outside MPs offices.

Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson said he received death threats following the vote, and also saw his office attacked on three separate occasions.

Conservatives have accused Labour of politicising the issue of free school meals. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the Government was "absolutely committed" to making sure vulnerable children do not go hungry.

He said the Government had already given cash to councils to fund free school meals in the holidays.

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