Hi All, 

5 September is shaping up to be a big day in our fight against Labour’s plans to tax independent school fees.  

First, The House of Lords will debate the contributions of independent schools and the effects a tax on independent school fees might have.  Lord Lexden – Deputy Chairman and Deputy Speaker of Committees in the House of Lords – organised this debate which includes speakers from across the political spectrum.  This highlights the effects of Labour’s plans just as the new academic year begins.  You can find out more here.

Second, the Education Not Taxation campaign will also present its petition to Downing Street on the same day.  We bring with us the voices of over 192,000 people who fear the effects of this tax on their children, their families and schools.  Help us get over 200,000 signatures by continuing to share this petition far and wide, with fellow independent school parents and others.  

So, how can you help?  Write your MP (civilly and poliitely) and ask to meet them at Parliament on 5 September to discuss Labour’s plans to add school fee VAT.  This is called a “mass lobby”, and it’s a way to get our collective voices heard.  Ideally, ask to meet them in the morning, before the Lords begin their debate.  (The debate starts at 11am, but starts on another topic first).  Let us know through our “Contact Us” page if you get a meeting booked.  You can find your MP here: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

What should you write? As a starting point, please look at this post from the blogger Mr Chips that will help you write your letter.  If you’re in a hurry, take a look at this guidance from Mr Chips’ post, and please be sure to include this 2-page policy summary in your email/letter to your MP (both will download as PDFs, by the way).

Also, please get your schools involved.  A new group of school leaders – called Chairs, Heads and Bursars – are putting together technical information to contribute to the school fee VAT consultation.  They welcome all of you to join their LinkedIn channel, which you can find here.  Please also encourage your school leaders to join (they should be contactable during the summer holidays), and ask them to complete the short survey on that page.  

Finally, be sure to follow us on social media and join in the conversation, civilly and politely. You can follow us on X/Twitter on @EducationNotTax, on Instagram on @education_not_taxation or on Tiktok on @education_not_taxation.  Parents and supporters can also join us on our Facebook page.  

It may feel quiet at the moment, but lots of developments are coming as the new school year starts and the consultation period comes to an end -- so follow us and keep up-to-date!  

Tony Perry
Education Not Taxation