Election - how soon for VAT on school fees?

[Labtastic]

So I see we're likely to have an election in early July. Obviously that spells the end of the godawful tories which is great, but also hastens the incoming VAT on school fees which, for us, is bad. We are one of those families that no one believes exists who stretch ourselves with school fees, and are going to be very pushed for an extra 20%.

Question is - do we think Labour can make this happen in time for September? It'll be our DC's last year of fee paid education and was hoping the timeline for VAT coming in would be stretched out a bit...

It’s a different type of structure, volunteering for 25 days for things like search and rescue, nhs, police, ambulance service etc, if you can’t see it and think that anyone who thinks this 25 days thinks little of young people then quite frankly I don’t feel the need to respond to you further.

She comes home every weekend and has plenty of friends and hobbies to do in the week. If you had ever actually experienced a boarding school you wouldn't even ask that. Most parents don't even see their teens in the week, leaving them on screens in their rooms! She doesn't do that at all and gets her homework done and has a sense of community.

You've clearly never had a job where you have to travel as a single parent either, but thanks for judging from your high moral perch! Sure you aren't a tory?

Oh Jeez.

Anyway I have heard state schools in a large council preparing for April 25 (ie summer term onwards).

‘How is outsourcing your children for someone else to bring up "Successful parenting" ?’

It’s one of those very odd things about the British upper classes - as soon as some have enough money to look after their children well, including amazing extracurriculars, Nannie’s or childcare, or babysitters galore, having a parent or even both around - instead they ship them off to an institution to be raised by people who, however professional they are or however kind ( or not) don’t love them.
All for the name of a famous school, or for family ‘tradition’…

Oh give over. Most boarders are hardly there. Independent schools have masses of holidays.

Until any of you have spent 12 years being a sole carer with no maintenance from her father or family to help with childcare, I respectfully ask you to think about how lucky your own lives have been. Picking on the single mum who is trying to work and raise a teen, who also has SEN, just shows your nasty personalities.

For some teenagers, parents are doing the best for their children by sending them to boarding school because it gives them stability. For example, children whose parents need to move often. There are even 30 state boarding schools ...

Does anyone have any guesses (or even better knowledge) about what will be captured under VAT? Just 4-16 full time school? Or more?

Unless you are a military family and boarding school offers your DC a more stable life than constantly moving schools? 8 schools in 10 years anyone? Those sorts of moves can be devastating to a child's education

Is it true Labour expected to last-minute ditch VAT on schools to capture more votes?

Habe you read this somewhere? It’s an interesting thought and one I’d be very pleased with!

Heard from very politically active colleague possible “Speculation”. General cynical view is both parties are actual evil scum but this person thinks Labour the most duplicitous !!
Wondering if others heard this chatter.

General view though is that there will be long delays & many valid legal challenges to VAT, unwinding charities where “donations” are now allocated, other provisions / community access.

Main goal is disruption of Tory voters, class warfare and headline

distraction from Immigration.

I think they'll go through with it sure enough - it's hoovering votes from people who have never liked or been in a position to need private schools. People who can't see the hypocritical thinking behind sending your own son to a super selective grammar with a heavy feed to Oxbridge when all other comp schools nearby have 44% FSM.

If I could suck up the costs and pay without it affecting me I would. If it didn't mean pulling dd out and joining a waiting list or seeing how she fares at a grammar with no SEN I would probably not think twice about it. It's the lower end these people want to drag down and disrupt, not the super rich - they seem happy for them to just keep going.

@distraction from Immigration. I believe this 100 percent. I also believe Labour are the worst because everything so far is a sea of hypocrisy and double standards. They can do wherever to gain votes from the gullible. I would never vote for them. Bunch of clowns 🤡

I can't see how completely ditching it just before the election would be politically advantageous for Labour, it's one of their most prominent policies! What might help would be if they were to keep the policy but sound more reasonable by making clear that they would consult, think carefully about SEND, do proper analysis of impact etc rather than rush it through without thought. That might allay the concern that they are sacrificing children's education for votes, regardless of whether it actually raises any revenue. I can see that might get them more votes.

No, but keep dreaming.

Actually, they won’t as their hateful base of voters would be outraged of this u turn. If they do is because is difficult to implement and won’t raise any money as people are already aware of.

I highly doubt it when it is the only policy way of raising extra money they have (even when more financially literate people point out that it won't raise the money they need).
I think they may choose to water it down as an act of "we are listening" and I believe this is why Starmer won't commit to a timetable for it.

We are very lucky that we won't notice the 20% increase in the fees of 3 kids.

I don't think the society as a whole will benefit from the policy but my family will. I know this will upset many people here by wanted to share a different viewpoint of financially comfortable private school parents (and there are very many...).

One of the selfish reasons I'd love it to apply ASAP is because we need to go through 11+, 13+ etc soon. 20% vat is a cheap price to pay to artificially lower the competition. Also, less bursary places mean more paid for places.

I think this policy affects women disproportionately to men. Women are notorious for not deciding until they go to vote - they are more likely to be weighing up options and open to changing party.

Everything else I would be happy to vote Labour for. If this was a minor disagreement for me I would vote for them without hesitation.

It's simply going to turn my life and my family upside down, and many other women who will have to cut back hours to look after kids with no wraparound care or who can't board any more. Or those with kids who have SEN who will have to be hassling various support services for something for their child.

I don't think I will be the only middle class woman with kids who won't be able to afford private education who is suddenly going to have to stop working and move or change their life in some way to cope with this policy.

Tories have this weird conscription idea but for dd that is years off and I suspect will be like Rwanda and be a flop. I just don't know if I can bring myself to vote for a party I dislike so much. Lib dems or greens seem my only bet.

Labour are relying on people who vote for them being a bit dense, ill-informed or just downright bigoted and not realising that one of their key economic policies will in fact generate less than 0.001% of the total UK tax revenue even based on the most bullish expectations.

Sadly it appears their view of their voter base may well be pretty accurate.

Fucking hell @heysister I’ve heard it all now and I say that as a parent who pays for two kids on zero bursary to go to private school! Wtaf!

Nice to have a bit of honesty! There are plenty of parents who can and will pay, and plenty who will feel superior about it and be happy that the school population in their school may fall.
But unless you have the money to bulldoze and bribe throughout your child’s life, some do I know, then how are you actually equipping them for adulthood?
James, George & Connie may be ‘top’ in their exclusive, tiny private school but will crumble when they met real competition…

20% vat is a cheap price to pay to artificially lower the competition. Also, less bursary places mean more paid for places.

This will reduce the academic requirements of a school though, making it less desirable and lowering academic standards. How is that a good thing? There are plenty of less selective schools with lower entry requirements which are relatively easy to get into already.

@Wewelcomeyourfeedback

Hi. I'm not bulldozing or bribing. It's Labour Party being accidentally helpful at this point in our family's life.

I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just trying to share this viewpoint ("bring it on that 20%") that is common in some circles that Labour claim that they want to hurt. Jeremy Hunt's non dom tax break change did hurt. But not this VAT thing.