Streeting attacks private schools for ‘pleading poverty’ over tax raid

Health Secretary says independent schools will ‘have to cut their cloth’ the way state ones have ‘for over a decade’

Wes Streeting has criticised private schools for “pleading poverty” over Labour’s tax raid on fees.
VAT will be imposed on private school fees from January next year, prompting fears of a pupil exodus to the state sector.
But Mr Streeting, the Health Secretary, was unapologetic, telling LBC on Tuesday: “I would just say to independent schools – you have hiked your fees up with inflation-busting increases, year after year after year, since 2010, and now you’re pleading poverty?
“If you’re worried about whether children can continue to access your schools, you’ll have to cut your cloth in the way that state schools have had to do for over a decade.”
The Health Secretary made the comments in response to a question on whether children with special educational needs would be exempt from the tax raid.
Asked whether an exodus of children with such needs would add pressure on mental health services, Mr Streeting said he was “sure” that schools could “take steps to mitigate against children being forced to drop out”.
The comments led to confusion over whether Labour was rowing back on the policy after Mr Streeting suggested that “all” children with special educational needs would be exempt from the tax raid.
Asked about the comments, the Prime Minister’s spokesman clarified that only children whose needs cannot be met in state schools – and who have their private school fees paid by the local authority – would be VAT exempt.
The spokesman added: “Those students who do not fit that category, it’s obviously ultimately a decision for private schools, how they pass on the increase in VAT and if they do.”
On Monday, a Labour MP urged her party to perform a last-minute U-turn on the policy ahead of Wednesday’s Budget.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Rachel Maskell said a delay to the policy would be “incredibly helpful” so there could be time for a “proper debate and discussion” over how it would affect pupils with special educational needs.