Council spends £8000pa on a taxi due to VAT on private schools

[Iwishicouldflyhigh]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14403627/Labours-VAT-raid-teenage-girl-private-school-council-fund-8-000-taxi-bill.html

So now a place is being taken up in an overscribed school, a 15 year old has had her eduction severely disrupted and the local council has 8k less in the pot.

Well done Labour!!! One of many stories, i'm sure and so predictable.

It really is staggering how many people don't seem to see that this entire policy is fiscally inept.

But the UK is so fixated around class, bashing the posho private kids, and people really would rather there be less in the pot for those who don't have options than see someone get what they perceive as an advantage... real or imagined.

There isn't the same sentiment around healthcare, or holidays, or even extra curricular. It's honestly bizarre.

The calculations based on a single paper written by a politician's mate who has already admitted he might have guessed wrong?

Those calculations? 😂

The whole thread and the DM reporting is - well, b**s.

Why should they? The rules are that LA pay. By your argument if someone can afford something, they should pay, so on that basis should all pay an additional contribution to our state school places because we can afford to over someone who definitely can’t?

“But the UK is so fixated around class, bashing the posho private kids, and people really would rather there be less in the pot for those who don't have options than see someone get what they perceive as an advantage... real or imagined.”
@OhCrumbsWhereNow - there are less than 10 schools in London and some top public schools where the rich and connected do meet. However, none of these schools will be adversely impacted by the VAT, they will work their way around it and still have plenty of applicants. To base a whole policy around somehow getting at them and their connections and links to the Tory Party is just complete drivel and insanity. But that is what this policy is ultimately about.

I wouldn’t trust the daily mail to accurately tell me the day of the week never mind report on a politically charged story.

I think they actually just copied and pasted from an article in the daily telegraph. This woman’s story was first reported by the Financial Times

Another example of bleeding the system dry. She could have home schooled with one of the brilliant providers at a fraction of the cost of private school, even if just while she waited for a place closer to home.

Having a tantrum to make a point. She'd would be better off cutting costs and applying for a better job.

If private schools didn't exist we would have the best state system in the world. There's no incentive when the politicians and people with power don't use the system. It doesn't affect them.

As soon as I saw the first line I immediately thought ‘straight out of The Daily Mail’ what a total crock.

If you look at the figures stated by Labour to ‘prove the worth’ of this policy you will see they did not actually ask anyone in the know.
The ISCs figures based on actual intel are much nearer the mark now than the piddly numbers Labour put out.

So no, nothing of any worth was ‘baked into the calculations’.

they didn’t even consider the cost to the MOD fgs!

Private schools are NOT charities and have no right to be treated as such

Tell that to ours paying for the upkeep of a world heritage site!

And the ISC wouldn't have a vested interest in inflating projection at all, would it?

I think the truth of the situation is that we just don't know yet. We'll all have our own anecdotal "evidence" but it will take time for the true picture to emerge.

Do your children attend state school?
Do you consider yourself “bleeding the system dry”?

Oh gawd, here we go again. Keep up at the back of the class.

• This has nothing to do with charity status.

• Labour has already backtracked on the idea of removing charity status from schools.

• Some - not all - private schools are charities.

• Lots of things you may not imagine are charities are... charities. And there is a whole body called the Charity Commission that look into whether entities are or are not charities and regulate the sector.

We do know that the numbers that have left already, those that have given notice to schools and the reduced figures starting are already more than even the ISC predicted. Which in itself was far far more than Labours number picked at random.

its like the Brexit bus all over again. People will believe anything just because they want to.

They can’t afford the taxi or a childminder or wraparound fees but have been able to educate their child in a private school up to now? Am I missing something?

But she didn't want to home school, nor did she want one of the schools closer to home.

I didn't want any of the schools close to where I live, so I equipped DD to land selective places at much better state schools in London. I pay the transport costs to get there - but that was my choice.

Lots of people probably disapprove of my doing this - but given we were thinking of private school, I shall console myself that I might be one of those people using the system that will lead to it being the best state system in the world.

They found that the council turns out to be liable for paying the cost of transport to the new state school.

Given Labour policy has meant they can no longer afford to save the state the cost of educating their daughter, and her education is now disrupted then they are very happy to accept that the state pays for both school and taxi - and they can spend the money they now save from school fees on something else.

Why wouldn't they?

@TizerorFizz Not a choice - it was how it’s done through this particular LEA as most schools admissions here are managed by it - including some of the academies.

The parent here could have made life easier by going through her LEA - the process was there and could have resulted in a much closer school place. I suspect there’s a reason she chose not to do that and to go out of county instead.

You just toddle off and go back to reading your Daily Mail 🤡

If there’s no schools within 25 miles to take the kid it’s fair.

Can't blame Labour for the state of spaces in state schools. Heard of a few people having taxis paid for by the council for a few years as no space in local schools. That was before vat on private school. Must be more to the story something ain't adding up. Also heard of private schools helping some parents since cost of living

This story doesn't make sense. The family could afford for the mother to give up her job as a nurse practioner to driver her daughter to school but they couldn't afford the £3,270 per annum increase in fees due to VAT?

And your point is?

Why is it even remotely relevant this woman is a “nursing practitioner” and her partner “having served 22 years in the army”.

Are we suggesting refuse collectors are less worthy? Is everyone earning over £100k supposed to put their children in private else it’s somehow wasteful of taxpayer funds?

This whole story is ridiculous, both ways.