TORY MPs in Oxfordshire, who voted down Marcus Rashford's campaign to provide free meals to schoolchildren during half term, responded to the Government's latest prominent U-turn.

After weeks of refusing to help children from poor families the Prime Minister backed down and announced a nearly £400 million grant scheme, to be run by local councils, which will provide support with food and bills during the winter period.

Wantage MP David Johnston, who previously argued 'as the name suggests, free school meals were designed to be provided during term-time'.  

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Commenting after the policy announcement on Sunday, he said: "As I said after the Free School Meals vote, tackling poverty requires much more than FSM holiday vouchers.

"So, I welcome the more comprehensive approach of the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which will help individuals, families and pregnant women with food, bills and holiday activities – and, importantly, it will be delivered locally by people who know their communities better than central government."

Mr Johnston was one of three Tory MPs in Oxfordshire who voted against the Labour Party motion to extend free school meals for vulnerable children during the holidays, arguing that existing support measures were sufficient.

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His bench colleague John Howell, MP for Henley, even claimed that the move is 'not a U-turn on free school meals'.

He added: "The policy is not a u-turn over Free School Meals. 

"It has been piloted across 17 local authorities over the summer.  It was originated by Henry Dimbleby, the co-founder of Leon."

"The extension of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme was one of the key recommendations of the National Food Strategy, so by investing £220 million in this scheme, the Government are not performing a U-Turn on Rashford’s demands, rather, they are simply acting on a recommendation from a report which they commissioned."

Witney and West Oxfordshire MP Robert Courts also argued this was the Government's plan all along.

He said: "The new Winter Support Package extends the Government’s successful holiday-time activities and food programme and provides local councils, who are best placed to target support at those in need, with an additional £170 million of ring-fended funding.

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"Oxfordshire County Council will receive over £1.3 million from this fund, supporting vulnerable children and ensuing local families have the help they need this winter."

Boris Johnson's announcement came after nationwide outrage lead by the 23-year-old Manchester United player.

This is the second time the footballer, who was knighted earlier this year for his services to vulnerable children in the UK, forced the Government to cave in its policy.

East Oxford MP Anneliese Dodds welcomed the 'necessary' change.

She commented: "It is right that the government have finally listened to Labour and other campaigners and offered more support to families struggling to make ends meet, but this should have been announced weeks ago to help the children at risk of going hungry over half term.

"The government’s incompetence and intransigence created needless and avoidable hardship for families across the country.

"This includes in Oxford, where the Oxford Mail has revealed disturbingly that a quarter of children are growing up in poverty."

All MPs in the county were asked for a comment on the Prime Minister's announcement.