Why are Labour and Phillipson shutting down democratic debate?

[Another76543]

Yet again, another petty social media post about private schools. I understand that many people disagree with private education. Many people agree with it. Why are Labour trying to stop democratic debate around this policy which disrupts the lives of many children? Her Facebook page also appears to be removing any comments she doesn’t agree with.

If you truly believe in something, have some backbone and stand up for your principles. Don’t try to silence those with a different opinion.

The post also shows a serious lack of comprehension of the tax system. This has nothing to do with tax on private schools; it’s a tax on parents. It’s the parents, not the schools, which have to pay any VAT.

For some reason, the Labour Party don’t want scrutiny of any kind. They don’t want this policy questioned. I assume it’s because they realise that the numbers don’t add up and don’t justify their actions.

I see, did you follow the previous Ed Sec (what was her name without googling?) on twitter?

People in schools think that Bridget Phillipson is actually ok, made a good start, saying the right kind of things, seems to understand the problems in education.

People who literally found out her name yesterday are now suddenly convinced that she's a MONSTER because she TWEETED. Worst ed sec ever.

Like where have you been the last 14 years? Gavin Williamson? Gove?

Stop trying to find another hook for this tediously overdone debate.

Was it Keegan? I might be wrong. There’s been a few! I’m not about to defend the Conservatives’ track record when it comes to education. The reason I’m using private is because of the state of the state education system. That should have been sorted out.

I knew Phillipson’s name long before the election and was critical of her sneering at private education before she was a cabinet minister.

We need something better. Defending a person’s performance on the basis of “well her predecessors were awful” is daft. Forget the past. We can’t change that. We need to look to the future.

i think ‘forget the past’ is a very Tory thing to say at this point. I haven’t forgotten when eg. Boris Johnson illegally porogued parliament, thus setting the bar high for shutting down democratic debate. That might not seem relevant, but tbh ‘not as awful as predecessors’ is a relief for now.

also, arguably, this isn’t really a politically controversial policy. They have JUST had a mandate to implement this by winning the election with this in their manifesto. Peolel don’t like it which is fair but they can’t say they didn’t see it coming.

The more anti-VATonschoolfees I read, the more in favour of charging 40% VAT I become.

Roll on the introduction of VAT

Yes me too!

Yes no one ever says they want to pay more, just other people

Yes…isn’t it telling what the privileged suddenly become justice warriors about? 🤣

What like an impact assessment on a major education policy?

I can see why you’d want to avoid that

40% on all vatable goods and services? Sounds like a good idea. That would raise a hefty amount of tax.

@Another76543 no, just on private schools.

As tongue in cheek as that comment os( maybe this will finally mean people realise just how badly decimated our public services have been by the tories, how they have destroyed society with their divisive rhetoric and their lies, and that the rest of the country is on its knees.

Oh so another “let’s increase taxes, but not taxes which I have to pay myself”.

For the umpteenth time, no one is defending the Conservatives. No one is saying things don’t need to improve. They do. We need policies which actually address this though, not spiteful policies (non doms, pensioners included) which raise hardly any tax.

@Another76543 clearly you haven't read my next post.

I'm earning £18k a year. If they want to tax me more, go for it. But there's a hell of a lot of people who have more to pay than I do.

I think being able to hide yourselves away from the absolute swamp that the tories turned this country into is fundamentally unfair.

The education sector is one that has been badly impacted. I don't think it's fair that some people can just avoid that while millions of children are being failed by a choice that wasn't even theirs.

No, I'm defending her performance on the basis that she has made a decent start to the job and she has been generally favourably received by those working in education.

So please butt out with your 'need something better'. You might want someone who doesn't defend a policy that was in the manifesto they were elected on on twitter (what exactly do you expect there?), but people in education want someone like her, who appears to listen and have some grasp of what needs doing. And so far she has been doing that.

£1.5 billion to help those children who don't have wealthy parents isn't nothing, if you ask me.

@noblegiraffe I'm so happy that schools finally have someone who cares in charge, not someone who's children will never step foot in a state school

Well that’s the issue it’s based on a mid level researcher who has now deleted his X account. He was probably not aware his writing would underpin a whole major strategy

Not robust scrutiny. No assessment

And there are plenty of people in state who do have funds

The IFS report estimates raising 1% of the overall state education budget. Even that estimate is based on ludicrous assumptions, and has now been shown to have been written by the friend of a labour minister. It uses figures calculated by a left wing think tank. The IFS describes it as “tiny” and says it won’t make a difference to public services. The actual figure will be much less and could actually end up costing the taxpayer. It’s like the Brexit bus all over again. We need an impact report.

Plenty of parents at state school are wealthy. They could always chip in for their children’s education.

The IFS has estimated £1.3-£1.5 billion a year.

If you can't afford it, your children will have to go to the state sector. That's surely not a problem? Or will you finally recognise that the tories have decimated this country?

If you can afford it then your objections are based solely on a refusal to pay more tax.

What about the areas of the country where there are literally no state school places available?

@Another76543 it'll put pressure on the government to sort it out. Which they're trying to do.

Are you one of those who can't afford the tax rise, or doesn't want to pay it?

You think nobody knows what you think about this?

I wouldn't be surprised if my cat knows what you think about this.

It's a democracy, not a local governing committee where a parent is emailing constantly to demand that the school reverses the increase in cost of the February half term Ski Trip because it's unfair on those who are going, especially as they're all going on the equally optional Choir Trip to Florence in May and the difference should be covered by the year's Pupil Premium budget.

@NeverDropYourMooncup this is the thing isn't it.

It's not like private education is a necessity. Yes your children might have to go to a school further away or one with a not so stellar rating but that's true of children up and down the country. But most people can't buy their way out of that problem.

I can afford it, which is lucky as there are no state spaces available within about a 20 mile radius for my children even if I wanted to switch. Many richer parents have pre-paid so won’t be paying the VAT. Those impacted will be the less wealthy families as the smaller schools.

I just don’t understand the logic of a policy which raise a tiny amount of money (if any), disrupts the lives of happy children, and places even more pressure on a struggling state sector. I’m not against tax rises. It makes more sense to increase basic rate income tax or the general rate of VAT by 1% though. That would raise many billions more. Let’s be honest, this is not a policy about raising money.