Jack Rankin for Windsor

Jack Rankin has warned that Labour’s policy to introduce VAT on independent school fees could cost the taxpayer £1.6 billion a year.

Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled seven policies that would be funded by his tax raid to the tune of £1.3 billion p/a.

However, modelling by the respected Adam Smith Institute showed that if 10 to 15 per cent of private school pupils migrated to the state sector as a result of the policy, it would raise no money at all. Even worse if this rose to 25 per cent the policy would have a net negative cost of £1.6 billion a year.

Jack, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Windsor, said: "The Labour Party claims that such a policy would raise £1.7 billion/year, but as the introduction would undoubtedly displace a significant number of children into the state system, any revenue raised would be more than eaten up.

"In the Windsor constituency, somewhere in the region of 20% and 25% of children are educated at independent schools (versus 7% nationally). Not only will this short-sighted and ill-judged Labour policy affect those children, if a quarter of those children are displaced as a result, it will severely negatively affect state schools, as class sizes balloon locally – this is not something local schools and councils can afford."

Jack, who recently met with head teacher Rhian Thornton at Upton House School in Windsor to talk about this issue, believes there is nothing to be gained by "pitting independent schools against state schools".

"I stand for parental choice and quality education whether provided by the state or the independent sector. We must reject Labour's politics of envy," said Jack.