To be completely shocked by this - Bridget can’t tell us the impact of the government’s VAT on Education?

[Sasskitty]

Bridget Phillipson dodges question on impact of private school tax raid

As parents and schools complain of chaos, Ms Phillipson refuses to spell out details of the assessment made by the department for education

Bridget Phillipson failed to spell out the full impact of the government’s private school VAT raid, dodging the question when asked about the possible implications for special education schools.

While she said the government has “looked at all of the potential impacts”, her answer failed to provide any real detail on the expected consequences.

It comes as parents and schools complain about the implications of the tax raid, which came into force on New Year’s Day and is expected to raise £1.5bn for the Treasury.

YABU - Bridget Phillipson has it all in hand. She just didn’t feel like answering the pesky question. The point is to piss rich people off. Leave Labour alone, they want nothing but erm oh I’m not sure.

YANBU - Phillipson clearly has no idea what the impact of VAT on Education will be. Nor does she really care as long as she’s seen to be punishing those horrible rich people. Or even better (it seems) the not really rich ones just trying to improve the education of their children as the available state schools were not suitable.

https://apple.news/AO7fcmrzuRaik4stLaPQxwA

(sorry paywall but there’s not much more in the article)

PS. I’ve removed the poll tally, no one needs to see real data. Do they?

Disingenuous. You know exactly why I mentioned it. And I didn’t say it didn’t matter, I said the reason for it doesn’t. It’s irrelevant to the reason it was raised.

Of course if the shoe were on the other foot that would be a different matter and questions or clarification would be permitted. This is very reminiscent of Keir Starmers approach as he too does not enjoy being questioned on his statements. One rule for the left and one for everyone else. We simply bow down as Our Glorious Leader always knows best.

I've noticed you often respond to people by accusing them of being "disingenuous". It does remind me of that phrase in the Bible regarding planks and splinters.

Why do you say displeasing?

I don’t agree with the policy at all BUT I also don’t see the point in the govt concocting a rubbish impact assessment. We’ll know the real impact in due course but it will take years to feed through.

Honestly, the govt publishes loads of forecasts and impact assessments, why do we need another one? It’s a waste of everyone’s time. And yes, I agree the policy is ideology driven rather than data driven, but so much of politics is. We’ll see in due course.

But that's a weird approach on a discussion forum. A statement was made and the person making it is refusing to engage with anyone suggesting an explanation for that fact may mean it doesn't actually support whatever mysterious argument they are trying to make.

I mean I appreciate the poster probably realises this. So that's why, as a kindness to her, I suggest we move on.

may mean it doesn't actually support whatever mysterious argument they are trying to make.

It means nothing of the sort. It’s a straightforward statement of fact. I’ve never seen so much made of nothing in my life. There’s nothing kind here.

Hang on....you are playing around with the education of thousands of British children which could have a permanently detrimental to their entire lives and you have a "wait and see"approach? Rather than doing a normal impact assessment that any sensible minister would carry out who gave a s*it.

What's clearly happened is that it's a rushed policy being pushed for idealogical reasons by a minister who has no good ideas for educational other than removing Latin from state schools, defunding modern languages (so our youth can only flee the country to countries that speak English presumably), removing choice for academies and putting our kids under state control. That's why she wants to get rid of private schools ultimately so all UK kids have no choice other than be indoctrinated in what Bridget P thinks is "right" and woke and will end up loving Labour. I assume everyone on this thread agreeing with the VAT policy understands this.

Yes its annoying to make.a statement and then for Other People to question or explain the actual truth of it.

I am against this policy 1) because it is downright cruel to any kids in the private sector with SEND and 2) it signals very clearly they have no intention of getting us back into any form of close links with the EU.

I also think it will backfire in the right wing press very soon when it becomes clear how little VAT the very top boarding schools have to pay (due to huge prepayments) and how much they will get back on VAT for capital projects. Labour should, at the very least, have done their homework on that one. The majority of the top schools have charitable status which means they would have had clear tax and legal advice given to the trustees BEFORE Labour got in. And those rich parents will have prepaid.

Because the poster doesn't seem to like the fact that 'educated' people vote Labour.

I'm not interested or care either way about that in particular. I'm just interested in explaining why this is not actually what it seems..ie that due to younger people usually voting Labour (for now at least) and the vast expansion of higher education by Blair, this explains the statistic of "educated people" being more likely to vote Labour. It's not rocket science. But the PP making the claim refuses to engage and simply says its a statement of fact and that we don't need to question why.

Fascinating though how Labour, the party.of the working class has so altered its voting base. Fertile ground for Reform it would seem.

I don’t think it means much, in any case over reliance on this group doesn’t always result in power, look at the Democrats in the last US election.

And if younger people here are leaving for better opportunities and more favourable taxes elsewhere it doesn’t help anyone here much either.

The general hyperbole on these threads is silly. Young people are not going to leave the UK en masse and none of the highly educated and decent young people I know (including my own DC) are going to be voting Reform EVER. They can think for themselves and the ones I know have pretty good moral compasses.

I’d say making sweeping statements based on people you know probably doesn’t help much either

What sweeping statements like this one " And if younger people here are leaving for better opportunities and more favourable taxes elsewhere it doesn’t help anyone here much either." Where is the evidence that younger people are fleeing the country. The only ones I know of who are leaving in significant numbers are doctors.

Funny cos another thread is running by a poster asking why so many young people are leaving the UK to study/work abroad 😆 maybe go on that one and tell them they are wrong

Well again that’s who you know.

Of course there’s movement, look at the thread on here for a start, plenty outlining more than just doctors.

Hyperbole: none of the highly educated and decent young people I know (including my own DC) are going to be voting Reform EVER.
Can YOU personally guarantee that?

Also if people talk in real life, the way they talk on here, who’d be telling these people they intended on voting Reform? People can smile and keep quiet. No can be sure how anyone actually votes.

Well yes pretty much. They all have very strong views against xenophobia and racism. These views don't tend to change over a lifetime. Maybe people shift a bit towards centre as they become less idealistic with maturity but that's something very different. They find the tenets of Reform repulsive and can see through any PR to disguise its core. They all hate Brexit too because it has closed down opportunities for them. Another reason why a mass exodus of young people can't happen even if they wanted to leave.

Actually views DO change over time. That's why most people start off left wing and move to centre/right as they get older. Most, not all, but it does happen. That doesn't mean they move to Reform obviously but explains why younger people are more likeky to vote Labour/Greens + older more likely to vote Tory. Again, not all but it's a general trend.

I actually think it's not healthy to stick with 1 dogmatic view all your life irrespective of anything. We are naturally curious as a species and that should lead us to seeking out other viewpoints. Just remaining doggedly with 1 ideal is not conducive to learning and developing with experience and time.

Well you could say basing your opinions on your real life experience is a bit more compelling than relying on the posts of randoms on an anonymous internet site.

Here you go. Plenty of posts to counter your view on impossibility of movement. Maybe some dc won’t see opportunities but there are plenty there.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5253084-shocked-so-many-young-people-seem-to-be-moving-abroad?reply=141402427

Not really. Saying it’s limited to Drs is so skewed it can only be an alignment thing.

Up to you if you think your dc can’t go to experience other stuff, plenty will.