Answers needed to question of Labour's school meals pledge

IMAGINE the scene: your child comes home from school on a day when you know that an important 50 question test has been set. “How did you get on?” you ask. The reply comes: "I got the first two questions right." "And what about the other 48?" you ask. The reply comes: "I couldn’t do any of them." Would you be happy?

It appears that Labour council leader Claire Douglas would. She has been proclaiming “success” for Labour’s trial of free school meals in York. This consists of free lunches for the 30 per cent of students at Westfield School whose parents have an income too high to qualify for free meals and a Breakfast Club at Burton Green School. This has been enabled partly by an annual budget allocation of £100k from the council.

However, Labour’s manifesto pledge before the 2023 local elections was “to ensure that every child of primary age gets a free school meal”. So what has been achieved after 18 months in power, namely providing free meals in two of York’s 50 primary schools, is neither a fulfilment of their manifesto, nor a great success. So far, there is no indication whatsoever that the scheme can be funded to extend it to other schools.

But Cllr Douglas’ excuse for her failure will probably be another imaginary Labour black hole.

Tony Fisher, Liberal Democrat member for Strensall ward

West End,

Strensall, York

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Well done, BBC

OH what a joy it was to see the BBC bring back the original music used for the opening titles of its coverage of the UK Snooker Championship at the Barbican in York.

It brought back so many memories!

The 1990 world championship final in nearby Sheffield that I was at to see Stephen Hendry crowned youngest ever world champion, the 1992 final that saw Hendry win his second title from being 14-8 down to Jimmy White, his annihilation of White with a session to spare in 1993, and even winning with a broken arm against White in 1994.

The biggest memory of them all though was just being sat back in my seat (or sometimes the players' pass area) of Sheffield's Crucible Theatre feeling such a gripping atmosphere while waiting for a match to begin and my great old friend, MC Alan Hughes, to introduce the players whilst listening to THAT particular piece of music as well as the music that they used to use for the Frame of the Day, the Shot of the Championship, and the long running series Pot Black.

So well done BBC for such a great move as regards the musical introduction and on having the guy who used to be the best player in the world now performing duties as the best commentator in the world.

Geoffrey Brooking,

Saxley Court,

Havant,

Hampshire

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