Private schools across the United Kingdom (UK) may be forced to close as John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor confirmed that a Labour government would impose more than £1.6bn in value-added taxes (VAT) on school fees.
Independent school leaders charged that “Labour is ripping apart the fabric of education” after John McDonnell warned that the party would treat them “like any other business”. Jeremy Corbyn is the ringleader of the Labour Party and due to run for Prime Minister in the projected Snap Election.
This move has received mixed feelings with users some users supporting the move while others disagree. One person argued on Twitter that private schools should not be exempt from paying taxes. He questioned why private schools are given the charity status whereby they do not get to pay the taxes yet they made a profit by running these institutions.
https://twitter.com/david___janes/status/1172439479266594821
Private schools are deemed elitist
This is not the first time this issue is being brought up. It has gained popularity in recent years with the Labour party with a lot of people feeling that it should it is obvious that the system is rigged against them. The issue has evolved into a discussion of elitism where ordinary citizens feel neglected and wondering why the rich should be the only ones who enjoy quality education and not everyone else.
I was an ordinary Beat Bobby in the police. My wife & I remortgaged to get both kids through private school. Our choice. Why should only the rich get better schools? We will be paying our mortgage until I’m 67 when all our friends paid theirs off years ago.
Just saying.
— Jonathan Nicholas (@JonathanNichol4) July 25, 2019
The average school fees for private schools is £15000 per year. In estimating the cost, there will be an extra £3,000 added to the total amount per annum if such a policy were to go through. Boarders would end up paying an extra £6,000 as an additional cost for such a policy.
The plan, which has been prepared by John McDonnell, has also left the option of total abolishment of private schools open. It has been prepared in anticipation of a snap election where labor is optimistic of taking back the government should such an opportunity arise.
Labour’s current position is that it would try to renegotiate a new Brexit deal if it formed a government, then put that to a second referendum with the options on the ballot paper being to remain in the EU or accept the new deal.
