Hi All,
Thank you all for your support! Over 68,000 people have signed this petition--and counting! Our voices are being heard against the country.
Now to the next phase: Yesterday, we launched a new initiative called "Education Not Taxation: Parents Against School Fee VAT". This parent-led, non-party-political campaign has already sparked a national conversation, with coverage in the Telegraph, The Times, The Daily Mail and others, and on the radio through Times Radio (about 3 hours 45 mins in).
Read all about it, and how you can help, on our website: http://www.educationnottaxation.org.
You can also watch the event for yourself on our YouTube page, here.
So, what next?
Now, more than ever, we need to share our stories with friends, families and our communities. Show them that this policy will hurt working families and, above all, their children. This isn’t the way to improve education for all.
To that end, we ask that you to respectfully and positively:
- Continue to share this petition far and wide. We want 100,000 signatures, 100,000 people around the country who call on Labour to rethink this policy. Share your stories on the petition and explain why this issue means so much to you.
- Write to your MP and candidates of other parties in your constituency. MPs of all parties need to hear your voice. They need to know this matters. Write a personal letter about your story — that will resonate. You can find your MP here.
- Share your stories in your community. Raise this in your community Facebook groups, write in your local papers.
We have created some helpful guidance and facts about this issue to get you started, and you can find that here.
We’ve also created a private Facebook group for parents to come together, share their experiences with each other and work together to win hearts and minds. You can find it here. Please join us!
Finally, an invitation for Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson:
Labour met with business leaders to shape their tax policies in what they called a “smoked salmon and scrambled eggs” initiative, as reported in the FT. I invite Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson to breakfast to meet with me and other working parents listen to uses will be harmed by this policy. Meet with us as you’ve met with others.
Sir Keir, Rachel and Bridget: I will personally buy you breakfast: Bacon and eggs or, if you prefer, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. Join me and others and hear our voices.
Thank you all for your support!
Tony Perry