Leading Article:In defence of the national dish

David Blunkett is troubled by E-numbers and B-numbers. Minimum nutritional standards are essential, he insists, to tempt children back from the chip shop and into the hall for their daily school dinner.

Has he tried a school meal lately? Lack of nutrition is the least of it. Far worse is the daily abuse of innocent palates. At least the soggy swede and cabbage doled out by Mrs Wham-it-on were rich enough in taste to be genuinely revolting. Today's chill-cooked offerings are more bland than the packaging they arrive in. They are a gastronomic insult.

Far better that the next generation's gourmets lunch on our most celebrated national dish; fresh fish (that brain-food!) swiftly fried alongside slivers of potato (that vitamin C!), all heavily seasoned to taste.