Labour accused of class warfare over private school VAT policy
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has faced intense criticism over her decision to impose VAT on private school fees, with opponents labelling her a 'spiteful class warrior'. In response, Labour Party chair Anna Turley has been deployed as an 'attack dog' to defend the policy, according to a column by Giles Sheldrick.
Phillipson, who attended the University of Oxford, has been accused of hypocrisy given her own privileged background. Turley, educated at Ashford School on a scholarship and also an Oxford graduate, has been described as 'vengeful' and 'hypocritical' for defending a policy that critics say punishes hard-working families.
Turley defends policy as ending privilege
In a series of posts on X, Turley argued: 'You don't HAVE to send your kids to private school. We have universal education provision in this country. If you *choose* to do so, the rest of us shouldn't pay for you to have a tax break for the privilege.' She added: 'I saw privilege that people paid for and didn't earn. And instead I want an education system that gives everyone the opportunities I and others had.'
Critics counter that parents who pay for private education effectively pay twice, funding both the state system they don't use and their children's fees. The column argues that there were never tax breaks for private schools, as taxpayers have never funded them.
Policy linked to school closures and teacher shortages
The decision to charge 20% VAT on private school fees has led to more than 100 institutions closing, while the number of teachers in the state system has fallen, according to the article. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'It turns out appointing a spiteful class warrior as education secretary was a disaster.'
Katharine Birbalsingh, headmistress of Michaela Community School in Wembley, also criticised Phillipson, stating: 'Ordinary people - both ethnic minorities and white people - will bear the brunt of what this government is doing and saying. Discord is instigated by those with power and felt by the ordinary man.'
Columnist warns of broader impact
The column concludes that Labour's policy is 'ideological vandalism' driven by 'politics of envy, spite, and hate', and warns that it will harm hard-working Britons who scrimp and save to give their children a better education.
