Labour chaos on plan to add VAT to private school fees as Emily Thornberry suggests the move WOULD increase class sizes at state schools - but is slapped down by other frontbenchers who insist it won'
7 months ago

Labour chaos on plan to add VAT to private school fees as Emily Thornberry suggests the move WOULD increase class sizes at state schools - but is slapped down by other frontbenchers who insist it won'

Daily Mail  

Labour's plans to impose VAT on private school fees descended into chaos today after Emily Thornberry suggested it will increase class sizes in the state sector. Emily Thornberry caused a stir by acknowledging the 20 per cent levy to fees would force children to leave, but said: 'It's fine.' Shadow education secretary Bridget Philipson flatly contradicted Mrs Thornberry in interviews this morning, saying she would be 'having a word' with her colleague 'Actually what we are seeing across the state sector is a falling number of pupils in our classrooms because of the falling birth rate, and there are fewer young people arriving at school. A spokesman for campaign group Education Not Taxation said: 'Labour once claimed that children in state schools were packed like sardines, yet Emily Thornberry says she's fine with stuffing even more children in.

Children School Labour Schools State Las Pupils State Schools Vat Thornberry Secondary Schools Emily Thornberry Class Sizes Mrs Thornberry Larger Classes  won  vat  schools  larger  state  thornberry  sizes  secondary  pupils  labour  children  school  slapped  private  suggests

History of this topic

Phillipson dodges question on impact of private school tax raid
9 hours, 59 minutes ago

Phillipson dodges question on impact of private school tax raid

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Bridget Phillipson failed to spell out the full impact of the …

The VAT ‘raid’ on private schools has finally made me proud to have voted Labour
Trending News
2 weeks ago

The VAT ‘raid’ on private schools has finally made me proud to have voted Labour

The Independent  

Six months after the government’s historic landslide election victory, its controversial plan to put VAT on private school fees has come into effect. According to his chancellor, “ending the VAT break for private schools would mean an additional £1.7 billion a year that can go towards our state schools, where 94 per cent of this country’s children are educated”. A …

Private schools ‘to raise fees by more than Starmer predicted’ as controversial VAT policy imposed
Trending News
2 weeks ago

Private schools ‘to raise fees by more than Starmer predicted’ as controversial VAT policy imposed

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Private schools are reportedly set to raise their fees by more …

Starmer defends controversial private schools VAT policy by arguing it will benefit middles classes
Trending News
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Starmer defends controversial private schools VAT policy by arguing it will benefit middles classes

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Over the weekend, education secretary Bridget Phillipson called tax exemptions for private schools “a luxury …

Private school tax breaks ‘a luxury we cannot afford’, says education secretary
Top News
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Private school tax breaks ‘a luxury we cannot afford’, says education secretary

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Keir Starmer has promised to ‘give children the best start in …

Starmer’s VAT hike will leave some GCSE students without a school by January, warns council
2 weeks, 3 days ago

Starmer’s VAT hike will leave some GCSE students without a school by January, warns council

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has been forced to defend the policy …

UK to funnel £1.5 billion into public education with private school tax reform
Top News
2 weeks, 3 days ago

UK to funnel £1.5 billion into public education with private school tax reform

Live Mint  

The UK will end a tax exemption for private schools on Wednesday, the centre-left Labour government has announced, in a move set to raise over £1.5 billion for public education. After years of worsening educational inequalities, from January 1, private schools will have to pay 20 percent value added tax on tuition fees, which will be used to fund thousands …

School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after 'shameful' claim that VAT raid will give all children the 'best start'
2 weeks, 3 days ago

School chiefs turn on Rachel Reeves after 'shameful' claim that VAT raid will give all children the 'best start'

Daily Mail  

The Chancellor’s claim that taxing private school fees will give all children the ‘best start’ has been branded ‘shameful’. Rachel Reeves has insisted that £1.7 billion would be raised by the 20 per cent VAT imposed on private schools from New Year’s Day, in a press release celebrating Labour’s ‘plan for change’. As the surge in fees has seen thousands …

Starmer’s VAT raid will ensure private schools become even more elitist
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Starmer’s VAT raid will ensure private schools become even more elitist

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. For children like me, private schools …

Labour preparing for private school closures after VAT raid on fees, suggest reports
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Labour preparing for private school closures after VAT raid on fees, suggest reports

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Contingency plans are underway in Whitehall for a surge in demand …

Families launch legal action over government’s private school fees VAT raid
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Families launch legal action over government’s private school fees VAT raid

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Six families have launched a legal challenge against the government’s plan …

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is left in CHAOS - as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on HMRC site
2 months ago

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is left in CHAOS - as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on HMRC site

Daily Mail  

Labour's tax raid on private tuition fees is in disarray as school heads have been unable to register for VAT on the official UK tax website. It left schools spending hours trying to navigate the system via HMRC’s live webchat, with one adviser even admitting: ‘we don’t seem to have the systems in place’. Keir Starmer and the Labour party's …

More than 3,000 privately-educated pupils applied to join state schools between June and September as Labour's VAT tax raid forces parents to pay extra £2,000 on fees
2 months ago

More than 3,000 privately-educated pupils applied to join state schools between June and September as Labour's VAT tax raid forces parents to pay extra £2,000 on fees

Daily Mail  

More than 3,000 private school pupils have already applied to join the state sector amid Labour's tax raid, new figures revealed today. Carrdus School, in Oxfordshire, which is owned by leading girls' school Tudor Hall, recently announced it will be closing its doors in the spring if it cannot find a buyer Critics of the policy, including Tory leader Kemi …

Private school closes because of Labour VAT and NI tax raids
2 months ago

Private school closes because of Labour VAT and NI tax raids

The Telegraph  

If it closes next year, Carrdus will be the tenth school to shut since The Telegraph revealed the closure of Alton School in Hampshire in May. Increased tax burden Last week’s Budget confirmed that private schools would lose their VAT exemption and business rate relief, pushing up costs that will need to be passed on to parents via higher fees. …

Private school group to launch legal action over Government’s VAT plan on fees
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Private school group to launch legal action over Government’s VAT plan on fees

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A group representing more than 1,400 private schools will launch …

Meet the parents taking the government to court over VAT on private schools
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Meet the parents taking the government to court over VAT on private schools

The Independent  

They don’t understand,” one parent, Kathryn, is telling me. Over the last year, Kathryn has been supporting campaign group Education not Taxation, a collective of parents with children in private schools who are challenging Labour’s policy to tax private school fees. I mean, what a ridiculous thing that is – we’re not all Etons and Harrows, that’s the minority.” Until …

What is Labour’s controversial private school VAT raid policy?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

What is Labour’s controversial private school VAT raid policy?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, …

Parents already turning down private school places as Labour’s VAT policy looms
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Parents already turning down private school places as Labour’s VAT policy looms

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Research shared withThe Independent by education consultants Anglo Schools International …

What is ‘toddler tax’ that could see some parents paying VAT on nursery fees?
2 months, 2 weeks ago

What is ‘toddler tax’ that could see some parents paying VAT on nursery fees?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In what has been branded the …

France and Germany slam Labour's VAT plan for private schools - and warn it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools
2 months, 2 weeks ago

France and Germany slam Labour's VAT plan for private schools - and warn it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools

Daily Mail  

France and Germany have attacked Labour's plan to levy VAT on private school fees, saying it could force hundreds of pupils out of international schools. French ambassador Hélène Duchêne warned the controversial tax raid threatened Sir Keir Starmer's attempt to 'reset' diplomatic relations between Britain and the EU Sir Keir plans to remove the VAT exemption on school fees from …

Military families set to be exempt from Labour’s controversial VAT on private school fees
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Military families set to be exempt from Labour’s controversial VAT on private school fees

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Military families are set to be protected from Labour’s decision to …

School VAT tax raid to go ahead in win for Bridget Phillipson
3 months, 1 week ago

School VAT tax raid to go ahead in win for Bridget Phillipson

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In response, the Treasury initially failed to confirm that the …

Private schools plan legal challenge against Starmer’s VAT raid
3 months, 1 week ago

Private schools plan legal challenge against Starmer’s VAT raid

The Telegraph  

Private schools are drawing up plans to launch a legal challenge against the Government’s VAT raid on school fees, The Telegraph can reveal. Private schools also want ministers to push back the implementation of the VAT policy from Jan 1 2025 to September next year. However, victory in the High Court would rubber-stamp private schools’ concerns that the policy is …

Labour’s private school raid ‘risks forcing out ethnic minority families’
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Labour’s private school raid ‘risks forcing out ethnic minority families’

The Telegraph  

Ethnic minority children risk being forced out of private schools under the Government’s VAT plans, a best-selling black author has claimed. The author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother, who sends her daughter to private school, said many ethnic minority parents have “three jobs apiece to make that education happen – just to make their generational landscape a bit …

Parents appalled after council asks those trying to move their children to state education from private schools to prove how poor they are
4 months, 1 week ago

Parents appalled after council asks those trying to move their children to state education from private schools to prove how poor they are

Daily Mail  

A council was forced to apologise for asking parents moving their child to a state school to provide evidence that they longer afford private school fees. Buckinghamshire Council had reportedly asked parents to prove their financial situation in order for their children to be considered for a state school place because schools 'are full'. Buckinghamshire Council was forced to apologise …

Prove you can’t afford private school fees, council asks parents
4 months, 1 week ago

Prove you can’t afford private school fees, council asks parents

The Telegraph  

Parents have been asked to provide evidence they can no longer afford private school fees to secure a place at a state school. However, if you can provide evidence that you can no longer finance the independent school fees, please advise and we can make a local authority non-preference allocation.” Councils must not ask for parents’ financial status All children …

Thousands of armed forces families depend on help into private schools. Labour's VAT raid plan threatens to hit their children hard, writes LORD KEMPSELL
4 months, 1 week ago

Thousands of armed forces families depend on help into private schools. Labour's VAT raid plan threatens to hit their children hard, writes LORD KEMPSELL

Daily Mail  

From Cyprus to Somalia, South Sudan to the Falklands, British military personnel are deployed 24/7 around the world to safeguard our national interests. They fight bloodthirsty terrorists and intercept international organised criminals Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson leaves 10 Downing Street More than 4,000 military children receive support for their private education …

Eton 'to impose Labour's 20 per cent VAT rise in January's fees' with costs of attending 584-year-old school set to rise to £63,000 per year
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Eton 'to impose Labour's 20 per cent VAT rise in January's fees' with costs of attending 584-year-old school set to rise to £63,000 per year

Daily Mail  

Eton College will add the full 20 per cent VAT cost on to school fees when Labour’s policy is introduced, it has announced. We recognise the concern that will be felt by many parents following this announcement.’ Eton College will charge the full 20 per cent VAT on its school fees from January after Labour's policy is introduced Chancellor Rachel …

Government’s private schools VAT raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.8bn’
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Government’s private schools VAT raid ‘could cost taxpayer £1.8bn’

The Telegraph  

The free market think tank looked at what would happen if two-fifths of money these parents earn or the hours they work specifically to cover school fees was instead taken as leisure. The study has been published as Ipsos polling for The Telegraph shows that while the public broadly supports the Government’s plan to hit school fees with 20 per …

Eton College tells parents fees likely to rise by 20% over Labour’s VAT plan
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Eton College tells parents fees likely to rise by 20% over Labour’s VAT plan

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Eton College will raise fees by 20% as a result …

Eton College to raise fees by 20% following Labour’s VAT on private schools
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Eton College to raise fees by 20% following Labour’s VAT on private schools

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Eton College will …

Biggest private girls’ school chain raises fees by 12pc over VAT raid
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Biggest private girls’ school chain raises fees by 12pc over VAT raid

The Telegraph  

The largest chain of private schools for girls in Britain has said it will hike fees 12 per cent from January when the Government will begin applying VAT to them. The Girls’ Day School Trust, a group of 23 top private schools in England and Wales, said it would not pass on the entire 20 per cent VAT charge to …

Military families fear being 'priced out' of boarding schools by Sir Keir Starmer's plans to place VAT on private schools
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Military families fear being 'priced out' of boarding schools by Sir Keir Starmer's plans to place VAT on private schools

Daily Mail  

Military families who rely on boarding schools fear they will be priced out by Labour's VAT hike. Military families who rely on boarding schools fear they will be priced out by Labour's VAT hike King Charles III and Prince William stand in front of an Apache helicopter during the official handover in which King Charles III passes the role of …

Private schools at risk of closure over VAT hike already face big budget shortfalls, says Phillipson
5 months ago

Private schools at risk of closure over VAT hike already face big budget shortfalls, says Phillipson

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Private schools at …

Fury as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says parents were given 'ample warning' about Labour's VAT raid on private school fees
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Fury as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says parents were given 'ample warning' about Labour's VAT raid on private school fees

Daily Mail  

Labour stepped up its class war on private schools yesterday after the Education Secretary suggested VAT could be applied to school fees as early as January. Independent school groups branded Bridget Phillipson's plans 'needlessly disruptive' and said they could lead to parents having to withdraw their pupils in the middle of the school year. Independent school groups branded Bridget Phillipson's …

Labour private school VAT tax plan could come soon – what parents need to know
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour private school VAT tax plan could come soon – what parents need to know

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour’s plan to end tax breaks for private schools could …

Phillipson blames private schools for ‘pricing out’ middle classes in row over VAT on fees
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Phillipson blames private schools for ‘pricing out’ middle classes in row over VAT on fees

The Independent  

Labour has hit back at criticism of its plans to impose VAT on private schools, blaming inflation-busting hikes in school fees over the years for “pricing out the middle classes”. “I just believe that we need to make sure we’re prioritising public money, and we shouldn’t be giving unjustified tax breaks to private schools, who are their own businesses and …

Budget rules mean private schools VAT raid won’t start before Sept 2025, Labour insiders claim
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Budget rules mean private schools VAT raid won’t start before Sept 2025, Labour insiders claim

The Telegraph  

Despite the claims, tax experts have warned that Labour could apply the VAT raid to this academic year if they wanted. The Conservatives jumped on the development, claiming Labour would raise less money than claimed if the private school tax change does not happen in its first year in office. They have to come clean with the British people about …

Labour VAT raid on private schools could harm vulnerable children, warns former Ofsted chief
7 months ago

Labour VAT raid on private schools could harm vulnerable children, warns former Ofsted chief

The Telegraph  

Labour’s planned tax raid on private schools could force “vulnerable children” to leave their current schools, a former Ofsted chief has warned. “It is a lot of uncertainty for some quite vulnerable children and it’s really important that thought goes into what needs to be provided and how it is going to be provided to make sure we don’t end …

Labour’s VAT raid: ‘I already work two jobs and cannot fathom a third’
7 months ago

Labour’s VAT raid: ‘I already work two jobs and cannot fathom a third’

The Telegraph  

Labour is planning to add 20 per cent VAT to independent school fees from January, a proposal which it estimates will raise an extra £1.6 billion for pupils in the state system. A solicitor and decorated former member of the Armed Forces, Jon went to a state school himself and says, “I’m what perhaps Monty Python or The Two Ronnies …

The real losers from Labour’s VAT raid on private schools? The children
7 months ago

The real losers from Labour’s VAT raid on private schools? The children

The Independent  

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Labour’s VAT raid will lead to ‘McDonaldsisation’ of education
7 months, 1 week ago

Labour’s VAT raid will lead to ‘McDonaldsisation’ of education

The Telegraph  

Labour’s plans to charge VAT on private schools could lead to the “McDonaldisation” of education if schools are forced to make drastic cost cuts, a headteacher has warned. The head of a £22,000-a-year prep school in the West Midlands said Labour’s proposal to add 20 per cent tax on private schools could force them to slim down their curricula and …

Watch: Yvette Cooper is asked four times about pupils ousted from private schools by VAT raid
7 months, 1 week ago

Watch: Yvette Cooper is asked four times about pupils ousted from private schools by VAT raid

The Telegraph  

Yvette Cooper refused to explain how Labour would find school places for children forced out of private education by the party’s VAT raid, despite being asked four times. “Other organisations and institutions have to pay VAT, we do think it’s fair for private schools to pay VAT and for that money to be used to recruit 6,500 teachers for our …

State schools report rise in applications amid fears over Labour’s private school VAT raid
7 months, 1 week ago

State schools report rise in applications amid fears over Labour’s private school VAT raid

The Telegraph  

State schools have reported a rise in mid-year applications amid growing fears parents will no longer be able to afford to educate their children privately if Labour come to power. Another said: “We have recently had parents who are desperate to send their child to our school as they were jumping ship from a private school they were stretched to …

Second private school blames Labour’s tax raid for closure
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Second private school blames Labour’s tax raid for closure

The Telegraph  

It comes after Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said that many private schools have “pleaded poverty and say people will be priced out” by the proposals. Mr Streeting said on BBC Question Time on Thursday: “I say to the headteachers, you’re going to have to cut your cloth accordingly like state schools have had to.” Downham charges £7,800 a …

Private school parents warned state places are scarce
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Private school parents warned state places are scarce

The Telegraph  

Private school parents looking to escape Labour’s VAT raid have been warned there are very few state school places available. One mother who contacted her local council about the possibility of moving her child from private to state education ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s proposed 20 per cent hike in fees was told that secondary schools are so oversubscribed that …

Labour’s private school VAT raid may trigger exodus that swamps state sector
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour’s private school VAT raid may trigger exodus that swamps state sector

The Telegraph  

Labour’s VAT raid on private schools could cause an exodus of pupils that would swamp state schools in some parts of the country, analysis suggests. The high concentration of private schools in certain local authority areas means that if even a relatively small proportion of pupils left because their parents could no longer afford the fees, they would struggle to …

Labour’s VAT raid will force private schools to close, education chief warns
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour’s VAT raid will force private schools to close, education chief warns

The Telegraph  

However, Labour has given scant detail as to the timing of its implementation, nor the extent of any exemptions, leaving private schools unable to plan their budgets. “Labour hasn’t fleshed out the policy, so we’re looking at tea leaves and trying to work out from different speeches that labour figures have made about what the policy is likely to be.” …

Labour’s private schools tax plans ‘blamed for fall in entries’
8 months ago

Labour’s private schools tax plans ‘blamed for fall in entries’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Labour’s planned tax on private schools has been blamed for …

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