THE SNP have hit out at the Tories' "utterly embarrassing" refusal to U-turn on their decision to stop free school meals for children in England during the school holidays.
MPs voted against the campaign started by footballer Marcus Rashford by 322 votes to 261 earlier this week.
The Scottish Government has already planned on continuing free school meals for the upcoming holidays but dozens of hospitality businesses in England have had to step in to support families.
READ MORE: Pubs and cafes step in after Tories reject Marcus Rashford's school meals campaign
Neil Gray MP said the outpouring of generosity in response to Rashford's campaign was "truly inspiring" but said it was "shameful" that Scottish Tory MPs had voted to oppose free school meals and cut Scotland's budget by millions of pounds.
The SNP Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary called on Tory leader Douglas Ross to back the SNP's call for a U-turn after he chose to abstain from voting.
Gray said: "It is also hugely embarrassing for Boris Johnson that local communities have had to step in to feed children left without by his Tory Government.
"The Tory decision to deprive children in England of free school meals has also robbed Scotland of crucial funding - by cutting millions from Scotland's budget in Barnett consequentials. While the SNP government has announced a £10 million package to continue free school meals over the coming holidays, we have had to find this money from existing budgets, which could have been spent in other areas were it not for Tory cuts."
READ MORE: Douglas Ross's free school meals tweet comes back to haunt him after Commons vote
He went on: "The Tory government must now perform an urgent U-turn so free school meals are properly funded across the UK - or it will leave Scotland worse off, and compound the poverty and inequality it has caused over a decade of Tory austerity cuts.
"It is shameful that every single Scottish Tory MP chose to deprive children of food and cut Scotland's funding. If Douglas Ross is to salvage any credibility he must demand his Tory government U-turns and pays up the money it has robbed from Scotland's budget.
"The SNP Government will continue to deliver progressive policies in Scotland despite Tory cuts - but it is clear that the only way to properly protect Scotland's interests and our values is to become an independent country."
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