To think that the private school VAT case is a waste of time and money?

[Yaaaassssssqueeeeeennnnnslay]

The government’s removal of VAT breaks on school fees is being challenged in courts - friend has been pinning her hopes on this, her DC ( no SEN, perfectly bright) are in an expensive private school. I told her it wasn’t likely to make a difference, and her children will be long out of school by the time any absolute decisions are made.

However, even if the judgement goes the school’s way it’ll court to the Court of Appeal, then the European Court - which could take years - and even then IF that court rules in favour of private schools our government is under no obligation to change anything.

IF a court is even willing to intervene in a social/economic policy that was in a political manifesto - a BIG policy - and voted for.

YANBU - it’s a waste of time/money if the goal is to get the government to reverse the VAT/ business rates policy in private achools

YABU - it could overturn their policy

We now that a lot of those sent to ‘borstal’ were undiagnosed ASD and ADHD. The outcome was poor. Those that can afford it now send those same undiagnosed DC to private school (who can’t attract the aspirational mc) whilst others muddle along in ms. The diagnosed also muddle along in ms until failure where parents are forced to tribunal.

There are already state special schools for severe LD and severe emotional and behavioural need. There needs to be state funded special schools for those that can’t cope with ms but are of normal (or exceptional) intelligence who are also autistic (with or without ADHD). Maybe a EHCP would still be needed for admission but maybe it would be easier to get an EHCP if there was a middle ground of provision.

I know the difference it can make. DS2 was crashing and burning but he had an EHCP. I didn’t want special or private because they didn’t suit his needs. So he was HE with internet school and tutors. It was cheaper for the LA. He is now at uni with DSA (no fight needed).

This was a needlessly stressful and expensive workaround for a currently failing system which hindered the ability for an ND child to thrive.

I don’t think the uk will be in a rush to vote in the Tories after the last 14 years .

Things change when it starts to hit people in the pocket. It could be due to Trump as well but there is no doubt that the unpopular NI and other tax grabs by Labour are hurting businesses and jobs. The British public are not the most discerning.

Reform is leading in the polls. I think there may be a coalition between them and the tories or a confidence and supply agreement a la dup

Not a chance of them getting in power after seeing how the US is fairing atm.

Nah the job market was stalling before they came to power. All the measures they’ve brought in are needed.

Am not sure British people see the link

I think they really do. The fact we need Europe far more now and that the great US trade deals Farage and the Tories promised along with gazillions going into the nhs on the back of Brexit were all lies is as clear as day.

Hi really glad we are able to challenge thd government in this way. They had to create a new law to apply VAT to school fees so it was hardly 'ending' a tax break,bit was creating a new tax opportunity. Regardless of where you stand ideologically on private schooling, there's a tragedy quietly unfolding here, loads of independent schools ARE or have closed, many jobs are being lost and local economies impacted. Many independent schools are not rich with amazing facilities they serve a community or a special purpose quietly. This policy is also bad news for all children in the state system as already over stretched teachers with 30+ kids are being asked to take a few more and probably the ones who need more support but who were doing fine in a class of 15 that their parents were paying for. This legal action has highlighted that the government knows this, it has shown they know the policy has affected average and lower income families who were lucky to have scholarships or bursaries and that they lied about this. I am glad to have had this confirmed. I don't think anyone thinks bring VAT in mid academic year was fair or sensible. This affects everyone, not just a few lucky kids. A lying government is relevant news to all.

People are voting reform because they don't want more immigrants and they think if there are fewer immigrants they would be richer.

I had an ex colleague who was fresh off the boat from Hk who wanted to support reform. Before I reminded her that farage wanted higher NI rates for foreign workers. But it still appeals to her, the general ethos of Farage. I think she had a zero sum way of thinking she also thought she could buy a london property on her own on a salary of 30k without bank of mum and dad and was constantly thinking of how to make more money from day trading. It was a bit of a bean counter mindset, like she probably thought if she paid 10 quid less in taxes then she would be well on her way to having enough to buy her own place (she lived in a hmo).

I felt it was too cruel to point out how all this was impossible and also quite insensitive as I did own a london property (I have a dh). But my take from this is that people who support farage/ trump aren't interested in details as it should have been clear as day from any mortgage calculator that it's just not possible. Just like it should be clear to any low income trump voters they cannot afford medical care without medicaid. But they are still swayed by vague overarching statements about prosperity, business acumen (ex colleague big fan of trump as he knows so rich about business) and lower taxes.

Yes, Labour turbo-charged job losses. Good job 😆

There is a very clear link between Farage and Trump. Forget Reform voters who are a lost cause anyway. Reform is not getting new voters from embracing the orange buffoon and probably losing some of those who would have voted from them previously.

Crazy to throw his lot in with the Trump. But Slugs for Salt, as they say.

We now have a sensible, relatable, but boring. But smart and hard working leader in charge. I’m not sure anyone in the UK is going to be in a hurry to vote the toffs back in.

Labour will not get in for a second term. Polls already show that they have lost any lead they had and things will only get worse as they get further immersed in the messy business of running the country.

They inherited a poisoned chalice but they have also made things far worse for themselves. This private school policy seems to have aged particularly badly. It was always a dog whistle policy but it now looks like an obvious red herring that had no business being a major policy when changes to disability benefits, WFA and NI were on the horizon. People feel duped. Nobody has any idea what they stand for anymore. They pretended that taxing the rich would be enough when it was never going to be. They have wasted opportunities to try and bring in proper, well thought change by focussing on peripheral policies like VAT on school fees. Whether you support the tax or not, it's highly unlikely to rank in people's top five or top ten issues that they care most about.

The boomers have arrived!

There’s nothing funny about state boarding schools for children with behavioural problems. They were hotbeds of physical and sexual abuse, violence and neglect and left children with blighted educations and bleak futures. Not amusing at all. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-66688508.amp

I agree that we need to be able to access the legal system to challenge the government so in that sense go for it.

i am GOBSMACKED at the number of schools that have closed 4 months post the introduction of VAT. These schools took fees in advance from parents and yet didn’t have 4 months cash flow available.

they’ve clearly been very poorly regulated (if they are relegated at all) and parents should be furious with the schools themselves for this. You were giving your money to an unsustainable company who knew they’d collapse at the first hurdle yet continued to operate. Very poor running.

This
because you said it better that I could Frowning 👏👏

That’s rude
Why assume that’s a boomer attitude ( I am not one btw )

Agree
Labour are proving useless
and sucking up to Trump isn’t doing Starmer any favours

Once the welfare cuts kick in and there’s no money from RRs other policies it will be the end

good one 😅😂

Too much time seeing them post exactly that drivel on Facebook

Seen it on here too but not just by boomers.
It takes all sorts

even younger people are influenced by boomer rhetoric. Besides How do you know how old they are, at least on FB you can tell by their name and photo. And lack of
ability to spell

There you go OP. Thanks for making it easy. That word "toffs" just nicely sums up the whole reason you have started this thread. You assume "they" are all posh twats who live on landed estates with staff and don't know the price of a pint. There are so many of us who use shabby, desperately needing investment private schools because, contrary to a pp's comment do not actually have a free alternative because it caused EBSA in my two kids when they moved to secondary..they were fine in primary. I'm a teacher myself. I have help from equally modest retired parents to get my kids to GCSE in a quiet pastorally focused place that they do well in. This has just made me be in 20% more debt to achieve that. Until the population is prepared to accept the truth about what most private schools are (ie not Eton et al) this debate will never progress.