AIBU to reconsider a long friendship over support for education tax?

[CoconutRumcake]

A close friend of over 15 years last night unashamedly said she supported the children’s education tax. To put this in context, she is godmother to my ds and has seen first hand what damage this has done to children and families as well as her own sister losing her job when the school closed. She had maybe drank too much and has apologised over text this morning, but I really can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want to be around her.
AIBU -try and move past it
YANBU -it’s run it’s time

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Well that’s the thing really, it’s quite laughable how ridiculous it is. Some people seem to think it’s a tax on private schools rather than children. But like I say my friend understands fully what it is, she unashamedly announced last night that the children’s education tax is good thing, it’s hard to take her seriously after that.

I think if there was decent SEND provision in mainstream, i like many here would have a different opinion.

However, I can 100% feeling beyond hurt if the change in policy has meant that your child who was thriving in a SEND independent school, has now had to leave to be home schooled.
This is the reality at my girls school. No one has left to go to mainstream. Lots have left to homeschool. Awful for the kids and families. Many more families that once sucked up the 'edge of EHCP' status are now full on persuing EHCPs.
Very costly for the govt.
This is a school that costs the same as the govt pay per child to attend mainstream.

I don't think many people realise how many schools there are like this. There are 3 in our small city.

To be honest, I'd not want to be friends with someone who calls it the education tax. It's a dishonest description as it's not a tax on education, just private schools.

Wow. Your children pay their own school fees? Good for them.

Have you posted about this before OP? It’s not taxing children’s education, it’s taxing private education because private schools aren’t charities. I think you’re being V unreasonable both about the issue and about your friend. Private education is a luxury for a few and absolutely should be subject to VAT.

Give over, she’s entitled to a different opinion to you. The “damage” to children and families is at worst them having to slum it in the same schools as 93% of the population and while it’s a shame about her sister shit happens and lots of people get made redundant.

Have you posted this same thing before? I swear I’ve read an almost identical thread posted a couple of months ago on AIBU

I don’t think a friendship turns on political beliefs alone. She’s clearly been a good friend to you in other ways as she is godmother to your children. I have friends with various views on things I don’t agree with for a whole range of reasons. I understand you feel strongly about this but you need to weigh this up gel at everything else in the friendship.

I think if you can’t tolerate a friend’s opinions then you are not a friend.

I don’t think she should be apologising on a ‘group chat’ for not toeing the party line either.

What next for this woman? Will she be bullied by exclusion? Sent for ‘reeducation?

I didn't read what the government was saying at the time as I have zero interest in this case - these are 100% my personal views which I have based on my observations. This is how privilege works in this country. I read books on it which were written long before the tax was introduced. I work with a lot of upper class people who were privately educated and also a few middle class ones whose parents managed to pay for public schools. I don't have class division like this in my country and having lived in the UK for 14 years I find observing British class differences very fascinating

Is the VAT you pay at Tesco a tax on supermarkets? Isn't it generally (and more accurately) considered to be a tax on the things you are buying? Because VAT is not added to every item that is sold there. And the assumption is generally that a business will increase prices so that the customer is paying the VAT rather than the business.

It is a tax on private education.

What nonsense? OP I think you are confused and/or misinformed about this tax policy.

Your tone reminds me of someone I know who became very rigid in their thinking about certain social policy issues and became hostile and intolerant towards anyone who disagreed including friends. If that’s how you want to be that’s fine, but you might find it to be pretty isolating.

Try listening to the Radio 4 program Encounters. Each episode brings together two people who hold opposing views on social/political issues and gives them an opportunity to discuss their respective views calmly and respectfully with a view to building understanding and empathy.

Ha ha, other than my friend mentioned in the thread I don’t think I know a single person who thinks taxing children’s education will improve children’s education.It’s a very hard sell , which is why no other developed country does it.

I'll accept a tax on private education as it's accurate, but a tax on education is not accurate

So you prefer to live in a cosy bubble where everyone agrees with you about everything?

Fair enough. It's still a very incomplete picture of the different types of private schools around the country and the parents who send kids there.

So you're falling out with multiple peope over this? You need to get over yourself and get out of your privileged bubble more often. Goodness me.

I read what you wrote. I absolutely agree with your friend. You are not the victim here.

Don't be silly. Nobody said she wasn't. OP is also allowed a different opinion to her ex friend's. We all get to choose if someone makes us feel shitty enough not to spend time around them.

The only unreasonable thing OP did was posting here to ask. Do, or don't do, no need for AIBU.

Sounds like you have no idea what you’re talking about. That is something that was and continues to be a very noticeable trait in those claiming to be in support of taxing education. It was something promulgated by Labour. Play on people’s ignorance to garner support for a policy that fails badly under even the slightest scrutiny/

Regardless of your views on the issue its kind of wild that a group of friends are so shocked to hear someone expressing a mainstream opinion, that was in the manifesto of the party voted into government I.e. fairly well supported.
And its sad that this person may lose their group of friends over again a fairly mainstream political opinion

"This nonsense"? Are you usually so dismissive of other people's opinions?

Her opinion is different to yours. You can do as you please of course and be friends with who you like, but if you're deciding you no longer want a relationship with someone you deemed worthy of being a godmother to your child I hope you have the backbone to tell her exactly why.

Try the advice on this similar thread www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5536172-allow-a-play-date-where-mum-unapologetically-supports-childrens-education-tax

I’m not confused or misinformed on the policy at all. There is a 20% tax on children (aged 4-18) education and vocational training services, this is the link to the policy:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-education-and-vocational-training-notice-70130

Its obviously a crazy thing for a country to do its own children and my friend has seen first hand what’s its impact has been, which is why I’m struggling to decide if I want to actually associate with such an idiot.