Labour’s Wes Streeting has fiercely defended Government plans to implement a VAT raid on private school fees, telling parents they were “pre-warned” about the move.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is facing a fresh legal battle over the decision after a single mother of an autistic child argued that the cuts jeopardise her daughter’s right to education.
Alexis Quinn has claimed she is representing “thousands” of parents in a similar situation with special needs children and told the courts she will “no longer be able to afford the fees of independent schools” which cater for her child’s needs.
As the Health Secretary was grilled about the case on GB News, Streeting fumed that parents “can’t complain” about the plans as they had been “warned” previously.
Camilla Tominey clashed with Wes Streeting on Labour’s VAT cuts to private school fees
GB News
Streeting told Camilla: “I’m not familiar with the specific case, but from what you’ve just described, it sounds like that pupil would be entitled to an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan).
“This isn’t a surprise. This isn’t something that we’ve decided to do in Government that wasn’t in our manifesto.”
Detailing the sheer number of children who are affected by the cuts, Camilla revealed that around “100,000 are not eligible for the EHCP”, but have “special educational needs”.
Streeting hit back at the figures, stating that those who do have an EHCP “will be exempt from the VAT” and that there “is that exemption” available to parents.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has imposed the cuts to help fund state education
PA
In an attack on the schools who have fought back against the move, Streeting fumed that they “can’t say they weren’t warned” about the decision.
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Streeting told GB News: “We’ve made this clear for some time now. Schools can’t say they weren’t warned, we did make it very clear.
“And the priority for this money is to invest in the state education that benefits the 93 per cent of pupils in this country, including the most vulnerable and disadvantaged.”
Defending the plans further, Streeting declared: “So that’s the thrust of the government’s agenda. It’s for the 93 per cent at state schools, not simply the 7 per cent at independent schools.
“And people were forewarned, so they can’t complain now.”
Streeting said parents ‘can’t complain now’ when they were ‘forewarned’ about the decision
GB News
Turning the discussion to the ongoing “cronyism” row within the Labour Party, Streeting admitted to being advised by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn.
Streeting told Camilla: “I make no bones about the fact that in opposition and now in government, I’ve turned to Alan Milburn for advice.
“He has been with me in opposition and in government, helping to shape Labour’s reform agenda, advising me as the Secretary of State, and of course meetings that Alan Milburn has attended, that I have invited him to.
“I have chosen to share papers with him and every other attendee of meetings, nothing commercially sensitive, nothing inappropriate, but meetings because he’s an outstanding former Health Secretary and I’m proud to have Alan Milburn’s support and advice.”
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