A row has broken out at Harrow Council after Labour councillors tabled a motion calling for stronger backing of government policies to support children and young families.
At September’s Full Council meeting, Councillor Stephen Hickman, Labour’s Shadow Portfolio Holder for Education and Children’s Services, proposed that Harrow Council should support measures announced nationally, including free breakfast clubs for all primary aged children and the expansion of free childcare.
The motion argued that families in Harrow have been amongst the hardest hit by the cost-of-living crisis and said the Council should play its part in ensuring the policies are properly delivered.
The motion was not debated after Conservative councillors voted to end the meeting, however Councillor Hickman said: “This motion is about making sure Harrow is ready — ready to deliver the childcare, ready to inform families about the financial help, ready to strengthen housing, ready to provide the mental health and wellbeing support that young families need.
“We know from Sure Start that early year’s investment transforms lives. Best Start gives us the chance to do it again, and to do it better — tackling inequality before it takes root, supporting parents when the pressures are greatest, and giving every child in Harrow the same strong foundation to thrive.
“I am disappointed that Harrow’s Conservatives decided to play political games rather than support our motion on behalf of the children and young families in Harrow who desperately need it.”
The proposed resolutions called on the Council to ensure childcare providers in Harrow are prepared to deliver 30 hours of free childcare for working parents of children aged 9 months to 5 years, and to advocate for more investment in early years education locally.
In response, Harrow Conservatives issued a statement saying they will always support local families and young people but criticised Labour’s claims.
“Harrow’s Conservative Council will always support local families and young people.
“We will of course do all that we can to support the roll out of free breakfast clubs to schools in Harrow, within the financial reality of the Council.
“So far the Labour government has not honoured its promise to properly fund this scheme, meaning that local councils and schools are having their already tight budgets stretched further to bridge the gap.
“At present schools are on average only receiving 60p per pupil to pay for their breakfast, which is clearly not enough. As a result, some of these schools who chose to be early adopters of the free breakfast clubs dropped out of the project as the shortfall in funding would have to be paid for by the school or local council.
“The Labour motion was also misleading, claiming credit for the expansion of 30 hours free childcare to working parents with children between 9 months and 5 years.
“This expansion of free childcare was announced by Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt in 2023. And it has been delivered on the timetable set out by the then Conservative government.”
Harrow Council leader Cllr Paul Osborn also criticised the motion, saying: “Anyone who actually reads this motion will immediately see that it reads like a Labour Party press release rather than showing genuine concern for Harrow’s families. Nearly every other sentence mentioned the Labour Party by name.”
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