Labour School Tax Pushes 10,000 Into State System Before It Is Even Imposed
Ahead of Reeves’ budget this month Labour policies are costing the Treasury before they’ve even come into place. New analysis from the Independent Schools Council, the largest body representing private schools in the UK, has found that 10,540 fewer students than last year were attending private schools in September ahead of the imposition of the tax at the start of 2025. At a cost of £92.8 million to the taxpayer…
The ISC’s chief executive Julie Robinson makes clear this is just the start:
“This is just the tip of the iceberg and the knock-on effect on schools is significant, with many small schools already at risk of closure.”
The Institute for Fiscal Studies’ sham analysis, which Labour has used consistently to defend its policy, claimed that in total only 40,000 children would be pushed into the state system. Other reports find that so many may leave as to make the policy fully cost-negative within a few years. Bridget Phillipson has also hinted that unannounced tax hikes will be needed to hire more teachers on top of the “£1.5 billion” she says will be collected from the VAT. Rayner and Reeves are getting closer to their old proposal of abolishing private schools altogether…
