Brexit: Theresa May warned to avoid 'milk snatcher' label over EU milk subsidies scheme for UK school children

Open Britain, the campaign group for a soft Brexit, is now calling on the Government to continue to match the level of funding provided by the EU in schools after Britain formally leaves the bloc in March 2019

Theresa May prepares to address a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels (AP)

Theresa May has been warned to avoid being labelled a “milk snatcher” like Margaret Thatcher by providing a cast-iron guarantee the Government will replace an EU milk subsidies scheme for school children after Brexit.

The little-known scheme, which the UK renewed its commitment to last year, will provide over €4m worth of milk subsides to children from the start of the school year in September.

While acting as a top-up to the already existing programme of providing milk in the UK, which has been steadily eroded since it was introduced in the post-war era, the EU scheme also acts to fund dedicated education programmes to teach pupils about the importance of good nutrition and lessons on how food is produced.

While the UK Government announced last year it would continue to participate in the scheme following the EU referendum it is not clear whether ministers will replace the money after Brexit.

Open Britain, the campaign group for a soft Brexit, is now calling on the Government to continue to match the level of funding provided by the EU in schools after Britain formally leaves the bloc in March 2019.

Of the €250 million of funding agreed for the 2017-18 school year around €100m will be allocated for milk, with Britain receiving €4.2m (£3.8m). Although participation is optional all 28 member states are taking part in the initiative in the coming year. The UK, however, is one of only two member states not currently participating in the fruit and vegetable subsides.

It is estimated that in the previous school year around 20m children benefited from the EU milk subsidy scheme that was established in 1977.

Labour MP Peter Kyle told The Independent that the Government “must not take a leaf out of Maggie Thatcher’s book and turn into milk snatchers” by using Brexit as “an excuse to cut the funding for much needed milk in our primary schools.”

He continued: “A full fat Brexit, where we leave the Single Market and Customs Union, would damage our trade with the EU, put jobs at risk, and hammer the public finances. This would mean less money, not more, to spend on our schools.

“Ministers need to give a cast-iron guarantee that they will match the current funding for milk in schools after Brexit.”

When the new scheme was announced this week by the EU Commission, Phil Hogan, the commissioner for agriculture and rural development said the programme will provide valuable support to millions of European schoolchildren and thousands of farmers in every member state.

Ms Thatcher had earned the playground taunt of “Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher” which haunted her throughout her political career while Education Secretary under Edward Heath’s Government. As part of the Conservatives’ drive to reduce spending to meet election pledges, Ms Thatcher put forward her decision in 1971 to stop the provision of milk for junior schools pupils.

A Department for Exiting the European Union spokeswoman said: “Under the nursery milk scheme, we already provide funding for milk for the under 5s in schools and nurseries.

“Free milk is available to infants when served as part of their universal infant free school meals provision, and schools must also offer free milk to older pupils eligible for free school meals whenever it is served during the day. There are no plans to change this.”