Kier starmer! He hates strivers!

[Bucketheadbucketbum]

He wants to introduce a policy to put up the cost of school fees 10 to 15%. This is a tax on hard-working parents! We slave away cutting cots everywhere living hand to mouth to try and improve our childrens future . Live in an average house average area 1 shit car no holidays work like a dog to get our kids through. We are easing the burden on the state system by choosing independent schools. We're not sending them to Eton paid by our trust fund! Why does he want to punish strivers! Tax the energy companies! So disappointed. We need a new political party. What's the point in trying to better your future.

What do you mean? Independent schools set their own fees? No one can dictate what they charge.

So people who do send their children to private schools aren’t “strivers” or want to better themselves?

*don’t

Because he thinks that private schools are businesses not charities @CloudBusted which would mean that they would be taxed accordingly.

Oh perlease- some people sacrifice eating so their child eats! They work hard too. Get over yourself- and fyi many many threads on this.
Revenue needs to be raised!
Also it will just become like any other commodity, either you can afford it or you can’t. Do you kick up a fuss over everything you can’t afford?

This with spades on

Don't be ridiculous. What we need is state schools up to standard.

I work really hard still couldnt afford private school. It's a choice not a charity.

He wants to change the regs around VAT / tax on fees so they will go up 10 to 15% predicted if he gets his way. So we'd have to pull kids out as not affordable 2 more into state sector taking resources from already thread bare budgets. Super upsetting and disruptive for the kids affected. Just want to leave UK. No reward for saving or trying to better your families future. Just punishment.

Private schools should be taxed. And it's not nothing to do with disliking strivers.

Oh do one. You know very well why he a saying this. Why should private schools get vat exempt because a loop hole allows them to claim charity status. Charity status, my arse.

It's very selfless and magnanimous of you to keep your children out of the state sector. We're all very grateful.

Also please learn to spell his name correctly.

It’s a terrible policy

Yes. Sending your children to private school is an altruistic act.

🙄

I support this. Hope it happens.

The schools could always reduce their fees and earn less income for their vast reserve funds

It's not a race to the bottom. I'm not passing any comment on others situations. I'm just saying this is a wildly disruptive policy that punishes people. We should be helping not punishing.

I'm a striver too, my children are at the local state schools. I believe with good parents behind them, my DC can succeed anywhere.

Whilst VAT on fees doesn't impact on my finances, I surprise myself by disagreeing with it. I think private schools aren't a bad thing, it brings money in from abroad, and reduces the burden on state schools. I think any benefit to the UK taxpayer would be undone by the increase in pupil numbers in state sector.

Im assuming this is some sort of joke thread. Very funny. £60 billion needs finding, £30 billion of it after Truss's little adventure. Private schools can pay their share like other businesses.

Maybe just maybe if all these people “striving” had to send their children to state school there would be a bigger concern at the ballot box about state education and maybe just maybe our state provision would improve?

It's ridiculous that private schools can register as charities. Someone rang LBC today who'd gone on a bursary and argued that was a charitable act - slightly limited in its reach 🙄

I send my kids to private schools, but I still support Starmer's policy. It is crazy that private schools get tax breaks, especially as some are owned by for-profit hedge funds in the USA. They should start with a pretty low rate of VAT (5%) and then have the option to gradually increase so there is no big shock to the system.

You have twisted it, my understanding is he wants to cancel the tax relief these schools receive under their charitable status. These schools are not charities and should pay tax accordingly.

However I do agree that those families like yours who do save and scrimp to give this opportunity to your kids are going to loose out.

It should be mean tested or looked at case by case for those who need the relief. As the rich will always be able to pay the fees regardless of the tax relief or not.

But what I don't understand is if you can barely trump up the fees how on earth will you manage to keep up with the Jones's for school trips, extra curricula activities and equipment etc such as sports and musical instruments so forth.

YAWN. Send your kids to a state school like 97% of the country and find something else to be outraged about.

Because private schools have 'charitable status,' they get to not charge vat and they also don't pay business rates. State schools do pay business rates. Why should they effectively be subsidised as they are businesses.

If more children across a range went to state schools maybe there would be more interest and political pressure in funding them properly.