Bridget Phillipson challenged on VAT being added for SEND and military school fees

September 6th, 2024

Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, has posted on X and laid down a challenge to the Conservative party regarding the charging of VAT on private school fees: "If the Tory leadership contenders want to reverse that, they need to tell us where they’ll make the cuts. It’s time they put up or shut up."

Labour will end private schools’ tax breaks and invest the money raised in our state schools. If the Tory leadership contenders want to reverse that, they need to tell us where they’ll make the cuts. It’s time they put up or shut up.


Esther McVey MP continues to highlight the affect of adding VAT on to private school fees - particularly for pupils in SEND schools.

The government is adding VAT on to private schools fees which will impact 100,000 pupils in SEND schools- so I asked what impact assessment they’d done on the effect of this on pupils & SEND school places. I didn’t get an answer, I’ll keep you posted & let you know when I get one.


The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP has also posted his assessment of Labour's decision to charge VAT on private school fees, highlighting the affect it will have on military families who are constantly moving and changing schools:

Starmer’s VAT on private schools will hit military families hard, robbing them of stable education while they serve our country. We should support our troops, not punish them. I fully back Lord Kempsell’s push to exempt them from this unfair tax and stop Starmer’s class war.



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