“I equally accept that every parent has aspiration for their children whether they go to private school or not.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer received a huge round of applause on the leaders debate on Sky News this evening, as he reiterated his party’s pledge to end tax breaks for private schools.
An audience member asked Starmer whether he would reconsider his pledge to add VAT to private school fees.
Under existing arrangements, independent schools do not have to charge VAT on their fees, thanks to an exemption for the supply of education.
In response to an audience member who said it would mean working parents would suffer, Keir Starmer replied: “I have nothing against private schools, I absolutely recognise that many parents work hard and save hard to send their children to private schools because they have aspirations for their children.
“I equally accept that every parent has aspiration for their children whether they go to private school or not.”
Starmer went on to add that in state secondary schools thousands of teachers are missing in key subjects such as maths and that 6,500 teachers would be recruited for the state sector by ending tax breaks for private schools and using that money for state secondary schools.
The Labour leader’s policy proved popular with the audience, despite the moral panic in some sections of the media.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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