Why has it fallen to Marcus Rashford to spearhead Boris Johnson’s ‘levelling up’ agenda?

A pattern is now clearly emerging when it comes to disenfranchised groups, says Ian Hamilton. If a ‘cause’ won’t win votes then it’s best left to celebrity philanthropists to deal with

Marcus Rashford has launched a new campaign to end child hunger in the UK (Getty)

You can’t help but be impressed by Marcus Rashford’s skilful off-pitch leadership on childhood poverty. After forcing the government to U-turn over free school meals, the Manchester United and England football star is spearheading a task force on the issue of child food poverty and is warning of “devastating” effects on the stability of the country if action is not taken quickly. He understands that it’s not just about ensuring food is available for families that can’t currently afford to feed their children. Crucially, it’s about reducing the stigma that prevents many from asking for help.

He eloquently draws the analogy between the way that there is no shame in a child asking for help with a maths problem, but the same child knows from an early age not to ask for food when their stomach is empty. Even though an empty stomach impedes learning.

Here we are in 2020 faced with Dickensian levels of childhood hunger, yet we have a government that consistently boasts about how it has reduced inequality and is determined to “level up”. Again, it is not a government minister, but a celebrity footballer who has taken the initiative. Marcus has used his influence to pull together a task force, including chief executives of supermarkets, to ensure this isn’t just rhetoric but something that will provide food and quickly.