Paul McCartney calls for an end to mandatory meat in England’s school meals

“No one needs to eat meat, so it shouldn’t be mandatory to serve it in schools."

Paul McCartney has backed calls to change guidance that makes it mandatory to serve fish, meat and dairy in England’s school meals.

Joined by his daughters Stella and Mary, the McCartneys are asking for schoolchildren to be given the option of choosing vegan meals.

They rallied for the change in a new letter to education secretary Gavin Williamson as part of the consultation process for the National Food Strategy, a new review of Britain’s food system.

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In a statement, the McCartneys said: “No one needs to eat meat, so it shouldn’t be mandatory to serve it in schools. It’s time to revise the School Food Standards to help the planet, spare animals, and promote healthy eating.”

Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney (Picture: Getty)

The campaign to change the “outdated” standards is led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) after a 2019 poll revealed that some 70% of British children want more vegan meals on their school menus.

“As the world faces dual health and climate crises, going vegan is one of the best things young people can do for animals, the planet, and their own health,” PETA said.

McCartney has been a vegetarian since 1975, while his late wife Linda set up her own hugely successful range of vegetarian food products in 1991.

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Earlier this year, one of The Simpsons‘ leading writers also revealed that McCartney “always checks” that Lisa is still a vegetarian, after it became a key condition of his guest appearance on the show.

The Beatles icon appeared alongside his late wife Linda in 1995’s Lisa The Vegetarian, an episode in which Lisa vows to stop eating meat after meeting the McCartneys.

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