Rishi Sunak has accused Labour of an “attack on aspiration” as he defended tax breaks that hand many hundreds of millions of pounds to the UK’s top private schools.
In noisy clashes in the Commons, Keir Starmer demanded an end to the handouts which have helped give Winchester College – the prime minister’s former school – “a rowing club, a rifle club and extensive art collection”.
He contrasted the college’s vast wealth with poor school results in Mr Sunak’s home city in Southampton, where four in ten pupils failed English or maths at GCSE.
“Is that £6m of taxpayers’ money better spent on rifle ranges in Winchester or driving up standards in Southampton?” the Labour leader demanded to know.
But Mr Sunak said: “Whenever he attacks me about where I went to school, he is attacking the hard-working aspiration of millions of people in this country, he’s attacking people like my parents”.
The prime minister added: “This is a country that believes in opportunity not resentment.”
Labour has unveiled a plan to end the VAT exemption enjoyed by private schools – in a clear policy divide with the Conservatives – arguing it is an “unjustified” 20 per cent discount.
The party argues the move would raise £1.7bn, to be spent on recruiting thousands more teachers, boosting careers advice and putting mental health professionals in every school.
Labour has contrasted the make-up of the cabinet – where two-thirds of members were privately-educated – with the failure to fund Covid catch-up schemes in school.
At prime minister’s questions, Sir Keir called the situation a “scandal”, arguing it handed £6m a year to Winchester College alone.
He said Michael Gove – “who after all was education secretary for four years” – had said “you could scarcely find a better way of ending burning injustices than scrapping these handouts”.
“It is simple, he can carry on being pushed around by the lobbyists, giving away £1.7bn to private schools every year, or we can put that money to good use. End the Tory scandal,” Sir Keir told Mr Sunak.
“He talks about his record. Hundreds of thousands of children leaving school without the qualifications that they need. I have made my choice, what is his?”
But the prime minister insisted his government is improving school standards for every pupil in this country”, adding: “This is about supporting aspiration, and that is what this government is proud to do.”
Later, the prime minister’s press secretary denied he is defending the VAT break because he sends his own daughters to very expensive private schools, saying: “No, not at all.”
She also said Mr Sunak does not believe they are superior to state schools, while arguing they “play an important role in providing opportunities for children around the country”.
