Marcus Rashford says ‘THIS is England 2020’ after expressing delight at Boris Johnson U-turn

England footballer hails the power people can possess ‘when they come together’ for the greater good as hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children wil benefit through the summer thanks to his campaign

Marcus Rashford expressed his delight following the news that Boris Johnson has performed a U-turn on the plan to end free school meal vouchers for the summer, with the footballer claiming “just look what we can do when we come together” after leading the campaign to help vulnerable children.

The Manchester United and England forward launched a passionate campaign on Monday morning calling for the government to reverse their decision to end the scheme for the summer holidays.

With 1.3m children dependent on free school dinners, Rashford wanted to not just raise awareness of those families who were at risk of going hungry in the coming months, but do something that would result in action being taken.

The 22-year-old therefore decided to write to the government, and called on every MP to back the calls for the meal voucher scheme to be extended through the summer due to the financial crisis that has been brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Rashford also called on those who agreed with his message to personally tag their local MP on Twitter in calling for a rethink.

Rashford’s plea was initially met with an unmoved response from No 10, with a spokesman for the prime minister saying that they would not extend the scheme into the summer holidays.

But on Tuesday Johnson performed a U-turn on the decision due to the growing pressure, with all pupils qualifying for free school meals in England to be given supermarket food vouchers to cover the six-week summer holiday.

The announcement sees Johnson agree to a £120m government U-turn, with Rashford’s campaign drawing support from a number of prominent figures from both in and outside sport.

Rashford quickly posted a message on Twitter to express his delight with the news, which he admitted was hard to comprehend.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Rashford wrote on Twitter. “Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020.”

In a second post, Rashford added: “To all MPs: This was never about me and you, this was never about politics, this was a cry out for help from vulnerable parents all over the country and I simply provided the platform for their voices to be heard. I stand proud today knowing that we have listened, and we have done what is right. There is still a long way to go but I am thankful to you all that we have given these families just one less thing to worry about tonight. The wellbeing of our children should ALWAYS be a priority.”

Rashford’s campaign was backed by Labour leader Keir Starmer on Tuesday morning with Labour launching the #HolidaysWithoutHunger campaign to fight Johnson's decision, while former England captain Gary Lineker was one of many high-profile sport stars to throw their weight behind the campaign.

Starmer said: "This is another welcome U-turn from Boris Johnson. The thought of 1.3 million children going hungry this summer was unimaginable. Well done to Marcus Rashford and many others who spoke out so powerfully about this issue."

Lineker was quick to credit Rashford for his work, which began with a lengthy letter to MPs and a refusal to be perturbed when the government rejected his calls for change.

“Well played, Marcus, well played,” Lineker tweeted when responding to Rashford’s reaction.

“Great to see @ManUtd’s number 10 changing policy at number 10. Extraordinary campaign and win for the brilliant.”

Sheffield United and Scotland striker Ollie McBurnie posted a message of congratulations to Rashford, adding, “What a man @marcusrashford”, while Reading midfielder Charlie Adam also praised the United striker’s contribution.

The England national team also sent their appreciation of his efforts, with the official England Twitter account posting: “Amazing to see your efforts rewarded and to know so many will benefit. We're so proud of you, Marcus.”

Former boxing world champion Anthony Crolla joined the praise, adding: “Unbelievable what this lad has done. Said yesterday about young footballers looking up to him. All young people should, especially those with a platform to do good things.”