To ask if anyone is clued up on the challenge this week to VAT on school fees?

[feesss]

we went to look round a school this morning and we obviously asked about VAT and the lady showing us round said there has been a challenge this week so it may not happen? Is anyone aware of this? I can’t see much online about it?

WTF is a large minority? Who is incoherent! It is quite bewildering that you can't even understand how wrong it is to assume that because a child has a certain background that they will not be naturally intelligent and work hard. Prejudice beyond belief. And all you can do is bang on (and on!) about the unfairness to a group of privately educated children. The irony!

A large minority would be not the majority, but still substantial in number.

I didn’t say you are incoherent, just your posts are. They seemed to be quite heated comments around swimming pools and ponies, I’m still none the wiser what your views are on the education tax?

I get where you are going with the prejudice thing and I realise it’s a common argument when pointing out the flaws in left wing policies on social media when there is no genuine argument. My point is that PS are successful because of the selective nature rather than the facilities, the children are from supportive families who value education.

Well, since you don't know me, my posts and I are the same thing aren't they. You are just trying to circumvent ad hominem.

You still think it is okay to assume that the children of lower than average intelligence parents are likely to be thick and disruptive. Can't see anything wrong with writing that? There are many, many parents in state schools who value education and their children do brilliantly. There are others with DC in private schools who don't give a f**k, with not very bright and disruptive children there. There will also be a decent proportion of children in private schools whose parents are below average intelligence. That is the way of the world, people don't fit neatly into boxes. It is views like yours that do anything but garner sympathy for your cause.

I’m really not trying to do anything other than establish your view on the education tax policy to be honest.

On previous page but here we go...

"I wholeheartedly sympathise. They are totally hitting the wrong people. The state system fails your DC and most parents with DC in that situation will move heaven and earth to try to get something workable for them. Then you are hit again with this while Eton et al are laughing their way to the bank. It’s awful."

Now what about your prejudices against non PS children? That's far more interesting.

The ISC are now mounting a legal challenge. That's 4 x legal challenges Labour have to pay to fight.

Thank you, must have missed that. So, just to be clear …not in favour?

My prejudices are just common or garden really, PS and grammar perform better because the children are there to learn and there are less behavioural issues pulling down everyone. I believe parents who sacrifice to pay for a PS are more likely to be pro education than those that don’t and this influences their children. I base this on my own non PS education , everyone I grew up with who went to the same comprehensive and that of my early DCs non PS and their current PS. I’m a terrible person I admit it, you’ve got me. I will watch ‘I, Daniel Blake’ 6 times to atone for my atrocious crimes.

Lord Pannick leading the challenge as well, pretty heavy hitter.

Only if they lose ...

I think given the number of legal challenges it’s pretty much a given that this policy isn’t going to be implemented on the 1st of January.

“In an impact assessment released on Wednesday, the government confirmed that only those children with a local authority EHCP, with a private school named on it, will be exempt from the VAT policy.
It added that "carving all children with Send out of this policy would carry a significant cost, and therefore undermine the government’s ability to improve education for the 94% of school children in the UK that attend state schools".

From the BBC. The Government have already admitted there is no proportionality.

So if the Government have already admitted that they are discriminating against children with SEND to make their tax policy work, looks like a slam dunk?!

He was the one whose advice Labour previously accepted about VAT being against HR Act

@twistyizzy if they drop it I'll send you big thanks. Idk how it will go but I'd love it to go.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98d3xr0290o.amp

Article for those who haven’t seen it. Last time the ISC took legal action against the Charities Commission, it won. But more pertinently, the case dragged on for years.

I have no skin in the game here, other than to think it was a ridiculous policy.

But anyone who thinks this is a done deal is being naive.

The legal challenges are real, and the government can’t bring about a policy until the legal challenges have been resolved.

It’s November already, we have Christmas in the mix, so we’re talking about six weeks for 5 challenges to be fought and won. It’s just not going to happen.

So while it might happen that the policy does come into force at some point. It absolutely isn’t going to be on the 1st of January.

I'm holding out for Phillipson to be sacked.

Pannick is a big hitter

Meanwhile policies such as no winter fuel for elderly gone through without big hitting, well financed challenges I gather?

Nothing to stop pensioners, or anyone opposing WFA, filling a class action suit. Could be done for approx 350k and funded through crowdfunding.
State parents wanted our sharp elbows to improve state schools, why are they surprised when we fight for our kids?

But sadly nobody stood up for the poorest in society

The winter fuel means testing doesn’t contravene EHRC or discriminate against anybody. It would just be an expensive waste of time, not that I agree with it.

I think the pp has it, there's no specific case but people like Age UK are trying via petitions

The issue is Labour though, as they have refused to do an impact assessment

For the schools too

The issue is Labour and their refusal to engage. Age UK are onto a lower sadly. We had a petition, support from MPs of a colours, SEN charities, teaching unions etc all calling for the policy to be scrapped. Labour ignored or obfuscated.
Farmers will now find this out too.

Pensioners are fighting the WFA. And good luck to them.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj9njvyr2dgo.amp