2024 Election thread
Comments
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Suspect this might go the way of the pension thing.
FWIW, the current government are quite happy to zero rate VAT to incentivise far more complicated things than school fees. Different types of construction work attract different rates of VAT depending on the type of project and how the contract is structured. So I'm not sure the argument that all education should be treated the same holds up.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
I doubt it. What do you think?
In reality, it will probably be restricted to full time schooling for school age children.
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I think they will cobble something together like that then schools will have a 9-3 charge and an additional tuition charge and it will be a mess. Reminds me of the fox hunting farce.
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Different VAT rates are fine, but they need to be defined in some way.
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Telegraph readers go for Labour.
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Yup, it'll be interesting to see whether they are pragmatic or stick to their principles. Principles can be rather expensive, as lawyers will always advise (or should do, at least).
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Obviously. I'd suggest that if you can fillet out certain construction materials and systems when installed in certain circumstances by certain organisations, but not apply the zero rate to the same materials and systems in a different context, then that's not too difficult. There are better arguments.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Same underlying point, but with new information on the likely impact. Also the previous articles focused on the problems for the families, this one looks at the problems for the schools, and specifically prep schools.
And it is still leveling down.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Read the article, its about how many prep schools may have to close.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
I really struggle to believe the market for private schools is quite so elastic and price sensitive.
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Probably because it doesn't fit in with your agenda. Do you have any basis for believing that?
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Because prices for private schools have gone up *so much* for decades and yet most of them have more applications than ever.
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A bit of leveling down might lead to a widespread appreciation that absence of Sky TV isn't a sign of deprivation.
Mix with the riff raff by day, private tutoring by eve ing.
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Sunak's having a nightmare on this Sky interview.
His only comfort is that his parent don't have Sky and haven't seen it.
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
It's only levelling down if you believe that private schools provide some sort of advantage. One's kids will probably have a nicer sports hall, but an advantage beyond that gained from growing up in a family that can afford school fees? I'm pretty sceptical.
I've said before that I think it's a bit of a pointless battle. The extra receipts are not going to disappear into the big list of existing demands before much gets to actually patching up the crumbling schools estates. On the other hand VAT is charged on a pretty arbitrary list of purchases. If you want to extend your house you'll pay full VAT, but if you knock it down and rebuild you'll pay zero VAT on the building work, zero on the bathroom fittings but 20% on the kitchen appliances; and if you add a separate flat you'll pay 5%. I don't think the argument that 'good things' should be zero rated holds up.
As for prep schools struggling to survive, that cannot possibly be to do with a tax that hasn't been introduced yet. Propping up failing businesses is about as unConservative as it gets.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Not a serious party.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Gammon faced pig botherer Cameron era tory vibe: 'We are all in this together'.
Muppet mouthpiece Sunk era tory vibe: 'We'll give only you £n, and fuxk the rest of them'.
Happy days.
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You seem think that private education is only used by the very wealthy. That isn't the case and a lot of families stretch themselves financially to send their kids private.
You should be grateful that these people are taking strain off the public education sector whole still funding it. Labour recently admitted that class sizes will go up as a result of their policy and that will impact your kids education.
"I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]0 -
Meh, put other countries on that graph and it's less of an outlier.
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2 things.
1) the stats say otherwise and 2) that’s not my argument. My argument is that the industry has been raising prices regularly and it has not affected the schools’ ability to fill places, so I’d be surprised if suddenly this vat rise changes that.
I also think people who aren’t putting their kids through private education now often don’t realise quite how expensive it is.
A number of parents at the local state school where I send my child went to the main private school here and there is not a chance they’ll be able to do the same for theirs. Not a chance,
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Yea they make so many sacrifices, like not having sky TV
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It *still* doesn't cover their spending plans.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Who gives a miss monkey's how well off the parents who buy private education are? Since when has that been the basis for applying VAT? Everyone thinks they're industry is a special case and should have a tax break. Join the queue.
1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
yes, i caught a bit of the coverage of their manifesto launch, if i thought they had a chance i'd be exiting the uk fast
i'm sure it'll garner them some votes though
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
The clips I saw of Sky’s debate looked a much better format. Get them separate and feed them to the wolves rather than let them talk all over each other and ignore the question. Surprised at how bad Starmer came across on the bit I saw, I thought he would thrive in an adversarial environment. At least the audience weren’t booing him though.
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Didn’t spot the source at first and wondered what was going on. That’s basically like asking a pop group’s loyal fan club if they are going to buy the next album and finding only 20% are going to bother.
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sunak's futile attempt to distract from 14 years of failing to do it?
i can't imagine what it must be like to live in such a place, nor can i see any likelihood that it'll be significantly improved by any of the parties
my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
Source is Redfield and Wilton polling company.
The description is that this is a poll of those who have the Telegraph as their main news source.
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This analysis is just total bollocks and it is getting wearisome. Those families stretching themselves would spend their money elsewhere in the same economy. They aren't using private school vouchers Stevo. Please save the violin for the remaining 94%.
As policies go, it is clearly intended for the signaling rather than for the financial effect and it is an anti-oik tax. However, regardless of whether you agree, having more of society on an equal footing from school age is a legitimate left wing aim.
As RSJT points out, though, the "advantage" of private schools is self-selecting. It is the same advantage as in better state schools with high property prices in the catchment, for kids who don't have to work, don't have care responsibilities, get some evening tutoring etc.
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In football terms the manager has lost the dressing room and only 20% of the fans are bothering to turn up. 😉
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0
