Would Labour voters be upset if joining the EU meant they could no longer tax children’s education?

[Blarneyspoco]

Taxing children’s education is banned as part of EU membership. If the U.K. rejoined the EU, would Labour supporters be upset that they can no longer levy the tax or would it be seen as a necessary compromise.

All tax is bad an evil. But some tax is a necessary evil

Why make something that's a good thing (it's not a demerit good like alcohol or cigarettes) there aren't any negative externalities (like with fossil fuels). It's schooling, education, teaching and learning and the government comes in and forcefully makes it 20% more expensive for everyone..how evil

Most of the major opinion polls put Labour ahead by a small percentage, with Reform and the Conservatives close behind, then a large gap and the Lib Dems. Of course the 'Burnam bounce' won't last.

Focus groups are not bringing up VAT on school fees as a major issue of concern.

I think the threads started by the OP offset that ....

And that is solely down to this VAT kerfuffle ?

Maybe it's time to return to the thread title ? I can easily see the current government ditching the VAT measure as part of (re)aliging with the EU in anticipation of closer ties. Wouldn't affect my vote one jot (as the thread is directed at me and my elk).

Good point. OP in competition with the combined forces of YouGov, Ipsos, Opinium and More in Common. You've got to admire the ambition.

Of course people won't say this openly in focus groups. But they will remember this at a polling station.
Let's also don't forget that the same group is also majorly affected by IHT on pensions.

I doubt it has anything to do with it. As several have said, it's a non-issue for most people.

Evil? Tad melodramatic.

We’ve already established that private education is bought because it is perceived to confer advantages over the state sector otherwise people wouldn’t pay tens of thousands of pounds for it. Children who attend private schools have advantages that many children in state schools simply do not, yet they ultimately compete for the same university places, graduate schemes and jobs.

You can think VAT is the wrong way to address that, but describing a tax on the purchase of that advantage as “evil” is ridiculous. It’s a tax policy you disagree with, not an assault on education as OP puts.

I think it was George Bernard Shaw, who was heckled at a premiere of one of his plays that received a standing ovation by someone who shouted "Absolute Rubbish !". He replied to the gentleman "I think so too. But who are we to argue against so many ?"

Eight things I think are evil.

1. Paedophilia
2. Assault
3. Coercive control
4. Satanism
5. Ethno-nationalism
6. Kidnapping
7. War
8. Murder

Is that in descending order ?

Random.

I agree it’s not evil, but I’m a little confused. You say private education is being taxed because it offers an advantage, Is the idea behind this that the tax is a punishment in some way for having an advantage or is it to make it more expensive so less children get the advantage and nudge them towards state education ?

There are a number of non-ideal situations I'd accept to rejoin the EU. Giving a further tax break to the rich isn't great, but if that's the cost of rejoining I'll live with it. We can campaign for change once we're back in.

I’d agree with most of that, but you forgot loud chewers.

Also, assault, kidnapping, murder and war are legal categories with quite a lot of nuance within them. I imagine there are circumstances falling under at least some of those headings that you wouldn’t actually describe as “evil".

In any case... we digress...

Apologies. I began the digression. Yes to your point about nuance. I could add 'Inaccurate punctuation' to your 'loud chewers'.

Neither really. I’m not saying VAT is a punishment for having an advantage (though some people do frame it that way) nor that the point is to make private education unaffordable (it will be the effect for some. But then see my earlier point about “haves”, “have nots” and the rather silly idea that income simply reflects how hard someone works).

I’m saying that once we accept private education is a privately purchased service which confers advantages, I don’t find the argument that it should uniquely remain VAT-exempt especially convincing.

For the record, I’d happily support rejoining the EU if that meant scrapping VAT on private education.

In fairness, many people misunderstand Satanism, which is a complex and nuanced thing with many branches.

The OP, however, almost certainly misunderstands everything on this list.

A digression ? On this thread ? Surely not !

My personal view is that people who litter are actively showing no regard for the living space of other human beings. Summary execution would be no more than they deserve.

A quick google showed that Labour are currently at the top of the opinions polls.

https://www.pollcheck.co.uk/gb-polls

However, opinion polls are usually meaningless.

You support it simply because you think education services shouldn’t be VAT exempt? Fair enough, are you in favour of the VAT exemption also being removed for people’s aged other than between the ages of 5 and 18?

Looks like I was wrong then.

Wrong ? On this thread ?! (to the tune of the late great Kirsty MacColls "In These Shoes ?")

She went to my school 😁

Not sure. My argument isn’t that all education should be VATable. It’s that private school fees are a discretionary private purchase which confers a significant advantage, so I don’t see a compelling case for that particular tax exemption.