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Richard criticises Labour Education Secretary for private school comments

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Wednesday, 9 October, 2024
  • Local News
school classroom image

Last week, Richard criticised the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, for her social media comments regarding private schools.

Speaking after the posts were made, Richard Fuller MP said:

There is already too much hate in our politics for a Secretary of State to use such divisive, spite fuelled language. 

All parents pay taxes for their children to go to state schools (as indeed do taxpayers with no children). Those who choose to pay additionally to educate their children privately have already paid for those services and facilities in state schools: their children just don’t use them.

Bridget Phillipson knows the economic case for her education tax is bogus so she is ramping up the class rhetoric. Shameful.

The Labour Party’s planned imposition of VAT on private education is financially incompetent and is being promoted solely based on the politics of envy.

Disingenuously invoking images of Eton and Harrow as being representative of the independent schools sector is an insult to local parents in Bedfordshire who aren’t “toffs” or millionaires but working people who prioritise their savings to support their children. As with Labour’s callous and spiteful attack on pensioners, this is a policy that will end up losing money such is the financial incompetence of the new government.

This policy will most certainly result in bigger class sizes in our local state secondary schools which are already straining to deal with demand.

It will most certainly result in SEND pupils receiving less support and some special provision schools closing.

And it will place huge mental strain on the ordinary children who face moving away from long-established friendships and the familiarity of teachers and surrounding environment in the middle of a school year

Many will be working through GCSE or A-Levels and could see their futures impacted by an underperformance at this stage in their lives.

Sir Keir Starmer was sufficiently concerned about his own son’s GCSE performance that he ‘borrowed’ a friend’s £18 million apartment so his son could study in peace and quiet. If only he cared half as much about the children of those he promised to serve.

For more information on VAT on private school fees from January 2025, please visit https://richardfuller.co.uk/campaigns/vat-private-school-fees

You may also be interested in

VAT on Private School Fees

Currently, all schools are exempt from VAT as they are considered eligible bodies under the Education Act. According to the VAT Act 1994, the provision of education or vocational training by an eligible body, along with closely related goods and services, is VAT-exempt.
Richard Fuller MP with Cllr Adam Zerny and Beds MPs

Richard signs joint letter to Angela Rayner with Cllr Adam Zerny & Blake Stephenson MP calling for better infrastructure support for Central Bedfordshire

Friday, 27 June, 2025
Richard recently met with Central Bedfordshire Council leader, Cllr Adam Zerny, and fellow Bedfordshire MPs to discuss the scale of housing development that has taken place across the county in recent years and how the necessary infrastructure to support this growth has fallen far short of required

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Richard Fuller MP North Bedfordshire

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ConservativesPromoted by Katherine Arnold on behalf of Richard Fuller both at NBCA, Biggleswade Conservative Club, St Andrews Street, Biggleswade SG18 8BA
Copyright 2025 Richard Fuller MP North Bedfordshire. All rights reserved.
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