If labour win the election can they introduce VAT immediately?

[londonparent321]

(For school fees) Or do they need to go through the courts which could take years /never happen?

VAT on mortgage payments actually would make a significant difference to the availability of social housing.

But it would affect you.

That's fine, I can afford it, and would be happy to support those less well off.

Not everywhere, some areas have the lottery system and do you really think that schools don't have motived and driven parents, I'm afraid that is delusional.

not going to argue any further

No argument explaining why it's fair for other people to pay extra for privilege, but not yourself then?

Come on now, you know full well they're not comparable. A mortgage is a loan. School fees are a payment for a service. Also, you do pay tax (stamp duty) when buying a property.

Mortgage rates have gone up (by more than 20%) in the last couple of years and people have had to downsize, sell, move to rented, cut back in other areas because of this. You talk as if private school parents are uniquely put upon.

How about people who can't afford it? No sympathy for them?

Not very empathic of you.

• How about people who can't afford it? No sympathy for them?

Not very empathic of you.*

I was being facetious. You have a FREE alternative to private education.

Rental is not a free version of a mortgage

OK, VAT on the mortgage interest then. That's a service. And it's most of the mortgage payment in the early years.

I don't think that private school parents are uniquely put upon.

But the vindictiveness, the sanctimonious 'they deserve it' that comes from these threads really pisses me off.

It's a punitive tax. There's no justification for charging VAT on private school fees but not on private medicine, private dentists, extra curricular and mortgages.

It's simple schadenfreude for a part of society you don't like.

So we can’t have a view on the policy because they’ve only released half of it?

Without a plan on how to spend the money raised, it’s purely a punishment policy. Designed to take advantage of the bitter social divides in the UK.

As someone who thinks the current government is utterly awful for this country, I’d like Labour to come up with positive and robust plans and policies to secure the election and then improve the country. It’s not good enough to wait for the manifesto, the election is already being fought. So maybe, just maybe, you could not presume to know posters’ views on topics other than the one they’re currently posting about.

Yes 100%.
This is not a win win…
State classes sizes will be 35+ children.
We’re going backwards…yet again!!!

Cake isn't essential to live neither is tv, music,.reading materials, clothes other than rudimentary stuff that keeps us warm, let's make sure everyone has the exact same thing no one gets anything nice or that they like, actually even with food, anything other than a government approved meal programme is so self indulgent. In fact all you people who keep more of your salary than it should cost to house you in a basic accommodation how dare you! No one should get ANYTHING unless everyone gets it!!

If I wanted this I’d move to a communist state, perhaps you should give it some thought?

people who pay for their children's education effectively pay twice - they pay their taxes like everyone else without using the state education service

They have the option of a free state education, but have chosen to 'pay twice'
They have the choice so don't winge about it

I don't really whinge about it IRL, but I think it's reasonable to point out that it's a punitive tax and nothing to do with fairness.

I'll also point out that punishing small parts of society you don't like is mob behaviour.

Being able to plough 15-20k per child per year into private tutoring and a whole host of other extras curriculas will still give them a massive advantage.
As for when it is legislated, who knows. When the civil servants explain in simple terms just how much money it will add to the coffers it may not be worth the effort. Like many of the last Labour governments “brilliant “ ideas on how to save money, such as the new dental contract, longterm they end in disaster.
I am all for equality in education but the figures involved will barely cover the cost of educating the extra numbers being forced into the state sector.
There is currently a massive debt developing re the repaired to many schools after the concrete controversy. Only LEA schools have been inspected so far. They haven’t started inspecting Academies for problems. I suspect the money generated, if ring fenced, which is probably not going to happen, will be used on longterm infrastructure and building work and not on actual education.

What gets me about all these threads is the vitriol - and its almost always one way I.e. those parents who's children AREN'T at private school making some pretty nasty comments and sweeping judgements about parents who's children are at private. Many, many of those parents with children at private have shared their decision being down to SEN or being failed by the state school system and could afford another option - but those reasons are just glossed over by the majority of the vitriolic pro labour policy mass. Its a divisive policy, politics of race to the bottom, and will give few any benefit in the long run.

This... and for those of us who are political a bit homeless, it's a definite reminder why that Labour box isn't going to be the one getting ticked.

Labour always has to have a vindictive policy to appease the left. This ensures they will lose some votes but not huge numbers overall . Most people aren’t affected and we will not see state schools improve. It’s a deluded voters who think it will.

Well said.

I'm not the one gleefully looking forward to other people children having their lives turned upside down because their parents are paying for something I cant.

It's not vindictive to tax the rich, you r confused that with over-taxing lower earners, bless you.

And yet again in the excitement in getting to see something negatively affect 'the rich' you're ignoring the posters on here who have spoken about their SEN child's struggles in state schools and how they've benefited from the smaller private class size. But what do they matter? You get to sneer and celebrate because 'the rich'....

Totally agree. It's a societal thing in the UK as I've gleaned from other threads that other countries don't have the same hatred for families/children at private school. They just see it as another form on educating children. Which it is.
Even amongst my friendship group when I mentioned DS is moving to private after the summer, I was immediately faced with backlash and sneers and 'why don't you just give him a house deposit instead'. Well because a house deposit at 25 won't help the struggles he's having at school at age 9.
But when I explained why I'm sending him, and the challenges he's having with dyslexia, and the things we'll have to 'not do' to send him there they were like 'makes sense'. It's quite sad though that 'hate' was their first reaction.

Without a plan on how to spend the money raised, it’s purely a punishment policy. Designed to take advantage of the bitter social divides in the UK.

It's a punitive tax.

Tax isn’t punishment - it is revenue. VAT on fees is designed to raise money, even if it isn’t a lot.

VAT on renovation on listed building was changed. No one started threads on here about ‘punishing’ listed buildings. Because it is obvious that it was a revenue raising measure.

I would be interested to hear actually, what are other people at private school planning to do if this does get introduced?