VAT on private school fees - will it change how you vote?

[Iwishicouldflyhigh]

Following on from the other interesting thread about whether it will be implemented, will this policy change how you vote either way?
For me - i've voted Labour and Tory over the years, but Tory for the most recent GE's. This year, i've been thinking seriously about how i'd vote at the next GE and it wasn't definitely a Tory vote - i was definitely a floating voter.
However, my children are at PS and so i will now most definitely be voting Tory (not just because how the VAT will seriously impact us - child number 3 will now not be going to the prep that we had lined up for her, she'll enter the local primary until secondary school - but how i think that it will affect schools negatively and children negatively).
I have a lot of left leaning friends who educate privately and whilst they cannot bring themselves to vote Tory, they won't vote Labour either at the next GE because of this policy.

It seems to me that this policy is only a vote loser (ie many Labour voters and 'floaters' who school privately won't vote for them at the next GE) and not a vote winner (ie i can't imagine that many Tory or 'floaters' will vote for Labour solely on this policy).

AiBU to think that Labour have really shot themselves in the foot with this idea?

I can't believe a teacher would advocate use of a mobile phone to work out times tables. What an inefficient waste of time.

@notthatthis - as a side note, I fully expect Labour to “fix” the teacher retention crisis by just being in power for 4 years. When the current boom has left education, and the low birth years are working their way through the education system, there will be enough teachers without them having to do much about it.

I don't donate to the PTA. Not everyone benefits with this policy or removing private schools. Children in Scandinavia get their school fees covered by the state regardless of what school they chooses. It means everyone has equal access to schools and schools generally offer the same high standard whether private or not.

Why shouldn't your private music tuition etc also include VAT. I bet it doesn't but it should.

My daughter is still waiting and many others.
Meanwhile private education is the option.

I will wait to see the manifestos of all parties. If the Labour Party’s two main policies are still taxing private schools and non doms, I definitely wouldn’t vote for them. I don’t think that trying to solve the country’s problems by taxing a minority of people is sensible. I don’t think that trying to drive away wealthy non doms and private school parents who generally pay a fair whack of income tax is economically sensible in the longer term.

That’s because you’re a Tory

I’m alright Jack and sod the rest

I personally think it’s a pointless policy, and it’ll have no impact at all on how I vote. BUT I think you’re massively underestimating how many people simply couldn’t care less about this policy, because they have zero skin in the game. It won’t negatively impact labour, because a lot of voters simply don’t care.

There are 8 private schools within 25 miles of the town I live in (5 of them are also faith schools), compared with upwards 30 state schools just in the town. There are 4 times the number of children in state schools in our town alone, than there are in all of the independent schools in the area combined.

People here simply won’t care if others can no longer afford to send their children to private school. There are only 2 outstanding schools in the town, both faith schools, both horrendously oversubscribed. The ‘pricing out’ for the average family happened long, long ago. (Although the rest of our schools are rated good, barring about 3. And many of these good schools are undersubscribed). And as far as people worrying about grammar school places being ‘hoovered up’, I’m in the north east, we don’t have selective grammar schools.

Obviously there will be areas where this would have a much bigger impact. But I really don’t think that there’s enough votes there to offset the areas where no one will even give the policy a second thought.

My concern is TWAW. I have no problem with VAT on private school fees, none whatsoever.

So there may be another coalition government then. Labour and something else. I don't think there are many people who care for labour's stance on fees and women.

This policy won't affect my vote because I genuinely don't give a shit either way. My kids attend a state school so I couldn't care less you can no longer afford private schoolfor your kids. I would vote for any party if they planned to get rid of university tuition fees and inheritance tax as these are things that will affect me. It's a selfish attitude I know but let's be honest, most people will vote based on their own circumstances.

I think the IHT question will swing more votes than VAT on school fees would. I know there has been speculation about the Conservatives cutting IHT. I think that could win quite a lot of votes. Interestingly, Starmer has already said he would reverse any cuts to IHT.

This policy is more likely to lead to VAT on university tuition fees than their abolition.

It’ll be fun when people have to take out student loans to pay 20% VAT on university fees and then have to pay back even more due to the interest on the loans.

Nobody in support of VAT on private school fees could argue against that if they’re being consistent.

This is such a minority interest topic.
Those who can really afford private school fees can afford to pay VAT on them.
Those who can't afford the VAT won't be missed, and will sharp elbow their children into the best state schools and save a lot of money!

I agree but it shows how selfish voters are. Most dislike IHT despite fewer people paying it than will be impacted by VAT on school fees.

The reason is that most people hope that one day they are in the position where IHT rules matter to them despite it being unlikely whereas they are likely to know for definite whether they’ll be using private schools or not.

It’s a great example of people agreeing with tax rises for things that won’t ever impact them while at the same time advocating for change elsewhere even if there is only a slight chance they’ll benefit.

I don’t like this policy but would still vote of them for the general good of the country.

IHT affects more people than the numbers suggest which is why it would be a good vote winner. Whilst only 4% of estates pay IHT at the moment, that’s forecast to increase a lot in the next 10 years. Whilst only 4% of estates pay the tax, that figure is slightly misleading. For example, take a married couple. Their combined estate is over £1m. On the first death, no IHT is due because it gets left to the spouse. IHT is only due on the second death. The headline figures show that only 1 estate was affected. In reality, it’s affected 2 individuals. Not only that, it’s affected the beneficiaries. If they had 2 children, that’s a total of 4 people who have been affected, but only 1 estate taxed. That’s partly the reason why so many people are interested in the IHT rules.

IHT is easily avoidable in most cases. Unless you suffer an unexpected death many years prior to normal life expectancy, it is not difficult to divert most of your assets to the intended recipients well before your time is up.

Surely we should making private school more accessible- given the overcrowding of state schools atm

Shameless scare mongering.
Are you sure your not getting mixed up that VAT on school fees will lead to 3rd world war and the Rise of the Machines?

Who anywhere has suggested VAT on Tuition fees? the UK already has some of the worlds most expensive fees.

Uni's are far more likely to closing than Milfield as they are far too reliant on overseas students and the govt is apparently going to restrict these.

I've voted both Labour and Tory in the past. I don't have school aged children so have no skin in the game with this. But, it's certainly something that is making me think voting against Labour this time as it's them showing their true colours of being nothing more than a gimmick to play to the politics of envy crowd. I'd far rather they came up with some genuine radical policies that would actually change things for the better rather than just the usual playing politics.

But almost all of that 7% vote Tory anyway, so it's not as though Labour will suddenly lose 7% of the vote.

Vat on school fees is the ONLY reason I will not vote Labour. I would even swallow the fact that Labour do not know what a woman is.

And just look at this thread to see where the politics of envy get us.

There is so much that needs fixing in this country, but instead Labour are going for the envy option to attract the beer and skittles vote.

I don’t think that’s true. There are a fair few private school parents who have previously voted Labour.

IHT planning is often costly though (legal fees, trusts etc). Adjusting IHT might appeal to those who want to avoid the hassle and cost of planning.