To think putting vat on private healthcare when many people use it because the NHS won't treat them is monstrously cruel

[DervlaGlass]

I know so many people who have had to pay for cancer diagnostics or new joints because they couldn't obtain care from the NHS. Not rich people - people who have to take out bank loans to fund it.

What is wrong with labour.

Independent schools are categorically for those with money, I wouldn't say "Elitist" as there are some crap prep schools out there. I voted Greens so it isn't really something I considered but I wouldn't consider private school for my kids anyway as I went to one and didn't enjoy it.

Because Labour lied about the figures and impact. They sold it as "kill the rich" policy and then gaslit everyone. They ran it on incredibly divise language which Phillipsob continues to use. They try to drag us back to 1960s class warfare.

That's why some people supported it. I'm not sure there's any evidence that people voted Labour ij specifically for this policy? Majority just wanted Tories gone and would have voted for Labour if the manifesto had been a blank piece of paper.

I think the problem is Starmer has no beliefs he just blows with wind. Funny how he has stopped talking about the £20bn black hole now that Rachel has increased it to £40bn. Reeves has started to blame economic damage - too right the economic damage she did when she increased NI and pulled the emergency brake on employment growth.

Wait until you see what Reform have planned for healthcare, you'll love it!

"Independent schools are categorically for those with money"
Except that's incorrect and you know it. That may have been your single experience of 1 school but it doesn't reflect the whole sector ie 25% on fee assistance.
A local independent near us charges 6K per YEAR.

Those who are pro labour on this thread, did you vote for them based on everything that was in their manifesto?

Many have mentioned that private school fees were a big part of why people supported them. So did you agree with all of their manifesto? is that why you supported them?

Yes, just as it was monstrously cruel to put VAT in private school fees when many people have SEN or other needs for their children which they couldn’t obtain support for in the state sector… also not rich people, many of those took out bank loans/asked family to help fund it too.

It will have come from the Labour Party. It is a standard way to test their ideas out pre-budget.

I don't understand are you providing that example as an affordable option as to pay £6000 a year for education is still not an option for most of the country who don't send their children to private school.

imposing VAT on private healthcare and on VAT on private school fees are both wrong IMHO. Both types of service are needed in many cases because of failures in public taxpayer funded services.
And keeping both relatively more accessible (than would be if govt adds on VAT) would actually save the taxpayer money and also provide jobs.

I vote Labour and I see a lot of hypocrisy from this govt. They went in gung ho for VAT on private schools, despite in reality it not raising any VAT money for state schools (costing them more in fact as so many kids had to leave private for state, added to which many of whom have SEND so cost more than standard state school pupil to support).
I don’t like hypocrisy in government so the government should revoke the VAT on private schools.

😂😂😂

To get a bank loan your credit rating needs to be good, to borrow/be gifted money from your parents/family, they have to have it to begin with, you are living in a bubble if you think this constitutes hardship.

I've read their policy documents. It makes sense. Incentiving recuitment and retainment of staff, reducing downtime of billions of pounds of equipment. They will give a tax rebate for people who use private health care - the opposite to this labour tax. It will reward people rather than punish those who take pressure off the system. The same as they are proposing tax breaks for those who use private education. These are sensible policies that drive behaviour that benefits the country as a whole.

The whole idea that Labour are promoting that if you don't have Nanny Starmer in charge to look after you, you will die on the streets is absolute scare mongering and non-sense. All Labour have now is a policy of better the devil you know, it might be shit but at least you know that.

Isn't it? When many in state sector have much nicer cars than I do, bigger houses and can afford many foreign holidays per year? So yeh, those families could afford 6K per year, they choose not to.

There are 9 million DC in state schools, are you trying to say they are all from deprived households? Cos that would be bollocks. There are more wealthy households using state than independent.

Sutton Trust clearly stated that the top 200 state schools are as "privileged" as top independent schools based on the wealth of their cohorts.

Exactly. Labour got rid of Assisted Places scheme which targeted low income families. Bring that back and get rid of the tax in order to make independent schools MORE accessible to more families.

No it isn't, again, you are living in a bubble if your comparisons and references are parents with children at top state schools, perhaps it's the area you live in.

And yet the optional purchase of caviar, first class air fare, and private healthcare doesn’t.

I live in NE where we have worst performing state schools in the country.

Are you denying the Sutton Trust report?

Who is putting vat on private healthcare? Oh, nobody.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0knr2dmn4mo

I never said that take time to read it properly - I said a lot of visits to hospital are preventable by change of behaviour. The poor don't have the option to use private health.

Anyone who agrees with VAT on private school fees cannot possibly argue against VAT on private healthcare. They are both services where there is a state alternative, and which some people cannot afford. They are both often used by those who have been failed by the state alternative. It’s amazing how many people are in favour of tax rises affecting others, but tie themselves up in knots trying to argue against any tax increases which may affect them.

Are you seriously arguing that at these rates of child poverty, people could afford private school fees if only they gave up the luxury of a roof over their head and some food on their plate!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2g03ykxeko

People have posted Streeting before. But to be frank there is only so many time a Minister can rule something out then it happen the next week before no-one, except your most ardent supporters believes them. That is why Starmer's rating is the lowest of any prime minister ever, he has no credibility left.

4 years and thousands in legal bills for my relative. The damage done to child's mental health during those 4 years in mainstream is huge and child will never recover.