Sir Keir Starmer, the Labor leader, is pictured yesterday on the first day of general election campaigning at Gillingham Football Club Credit: Labor Party
Sir Keir Starmer said he would roll out Labor’s plan to impose VAT on private school fees “straight away” if the party wins the general election.
Asked if the plan would be implemented on “day one” of being in power, Sir Keir told the BBC Radio 4 Today program-me: “As soon as it can be done. Obviously there will have to be financial statements etc.
“It is a question of the timetable in Parliament. But these first steps are intended to be done straight away.”
Labor has promised to end private schools’ exemption from 20 per cent VAT. The party has estimated the move could raise £1.6 billion a year which it would then spend on a series of state education pledges.
However, the policy has sparked fears of a pupil exodus from private to state schools because the rise is likely to be passed on to parents.
Telegraph