Keir Starmer went to private school

[Asking4afrend]

AIBU to be shocked that Keir Starmer went to private school? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. So he enjoyed an excellent education which increased his social mobility and then wants to bring down the system that helped him, even when they gave him a 100% bursary so that his parents didn’t have to pay the fees?

This is from wiki:

Starmer passed the 11-plus examination and gained entry to Reigate Grammar School, which at the time was a voluntary-aidedselective grammar school.[1][12] The school converted into an independent fee-paying school in 1976, while he was a student. The terms of the conversion were such that his parents were not required to pay for his schooling until he turned 16, and when he reached that point, the school, by now a charity, awarded him a bursary that allowed him to complete his education there without any parental contribution.

I only found out about this today when I was googling the school for another reason and looked up the alumni. What a hypocrite. You didn’t hear about this in the election during all his “my father was a toolmaker” speeches.

A normal kid goes to a mate’s house. We have had several kids stay here over GCSEs. They do not go to some rich donors flat.

Are we sure the VAT money is going to schools?

Starmer to hand Mauritius billions in Chagos deal.

Prime Minister will attend a ‘virtual signing ceremony’ with representatives from the Mauritian government on Thursday.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/05/21/mauritius-chagos-deal-billions-keir-starmer-ceremony/

Maybe you are their rich donor? Starmer's son stayed at a family friend's flat, just like your DD's friends.

Starmer is a rich man. He has rich friends. Ali has been his friend for years. Questioning this particular thing is just weird.

They were paying their bloody taxes. Most working parents who pay school fees are doing so out of taxed income. What they are now having to do is pay a bit extra to the school to pass on to the government. Meanwhile state school parents take up their entitlement to a free school place and pay no VAT on music lessons, private tutors etc etc. Why aren't you lobbying for them to pay their bloody taxes like the rest of us?

He’s not a normal kid, is he?

👏 👏

Are you saying that state school parents don't pay tax?

It wasn’t a private school when he joined. So what anyway?

Of course I'm not. We all pay all sorts of taxes. My point, which I am boring myself by repeating over and over again, is that parents of children at fee-paying schools were not dodging any sort of tax before Parliament changed the law and said that school fees would now be subject to VAT.

Schools don't have to charge the VAT to parents.

Err? They have to account for 20 per cent of VAT on fees charged to parents (minus deductions for VAT they paid out themselves including qualifying capex). I doubt the bursars want to be locked up for not following tax laws.

They do. Whatever fee they set they have to add VAT to it.

They can reduce the fee so the new fee amount plus VAT is the same as the old fee amount. But that isn't a neutral thing. It mainly means cutting staff. They can offset it slightly as schools can reclaim vat now but with business rate changes that isn't as helpful as it could be..

When 25000k kids and rising don’t start in private schools but go state, will they be deemed tax dodgers? You know taking their state place to avoid paying VAT? Will that be tax dodging or doing the right thing or gaming the system? Which one is it going to be?

25000k?

No, we wouldn't want to encourage state school children to learn an instrument, whilst we are at it cancel Free School meals and cancel Christmas!!

We get free school meals in London throughout primary school right now, even if we are millionaires.

When at state school.

Do all secondary age children in London stat schools get FSMs? Are they using the spare cash to pay for tuition fees?

Youbdo realise it probably wasn't up to him which school he went to.

Didn’t most politicians and high court judges and House of Lords go to private school. Not sure of the purpose of this post really?

Private school parents don’t pay VAT on private tutors or music lessons either…

Actually secondary schools in London tend to send begging letters asking for 50 pound
monthly donations grossed up via gift aid. At least all of ours did.

Do all secondary age children in London stat schools get FSMs? Are they using the spare cash to pay for tuition fees?

It's primary that it's free. Why would it be spent on tutoring instead?

My understanding is that if the music lessons are provided through the school yes, they do pay VAT.