'Universal free school meals' is one of those evocative policy ideas that well-intentioned do-gooders insist is vital in improving the attainment of young pupils.
The reaction to their proposed withdrawal is reminiscent of the early 1970s when then-education secretary Margaret Thatcher sparked outrage with her decision to withdraw free school milk to make public spending savings.
The truth is that universal 'free' meals were actually an expensive gimmick - costing the taxpaying public about £700m - designed to give Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats some political cover for the tough but necessary decisions they had taken as part of the Coalition Government.
Dominic Cummings, a former advisor to Michael Gove who worked closely with him at the Department of Education (DfE), derided the policy as 'dumb' and claimed staff in the department were almost 'unanimously opposed'.
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