In recent weeks and months, the right-wing press has attacked Labour’s plans, but voters are still backing the policy.
Voters still support the Labour Party’s plan to end the VAT exemption on private school fees, despite the right-wing press launching a moral panic over the issue.
In recent weeks and months, the right-wing press has attacked Labour’s plans, but voters are still backing the policy, according to the findings of an exclusive poll carried out by Savanta for Left Foot Forward.
The poll, which asked voters if they supported or opposed a plan to end the VAT exemption on private school fees, found that 42% of those asked were in favour of ending the VAT exemption on private school fees, while 23% opposed.
While the Labour Party has backed down from plans to completely strip private schools of their charitable status if it wins the next general election, it will still go ahead with plans to impose 20pc VAT on private schools and end business rates relief in England. The Labour Party says that ending business rates relief and imposing VAT on schools would raise an estimated £1.7bn, which will be invested in the state sector.
Savanta’s poll of 2,227 voters found that while 39% of Tory party voters support plans
to end the VAT exemption on private school fees, the figure rises to 55% among Labour Party voters and Lib Dem voters. 50% of Green Party voters also support the plans.
While a quarter of 18-24 year olds support the plans to end tax breaks on private school fees, the figure rises to 50% for those aged 65 and over.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.