In a letter to the Editor of the Redditch Standard, published in today's paper (October 11th), Rachel said:
"The politics of envy is crippling this new government and is driving their entire agenda.
There are two of Labour’s policies which prove this. First, applying VAT on private school fees and second, their plans for the non-dom tax status.
On private school fees the Education Secretary is clearly engaging in class warfare. Her disdain for private schools is palpable. In her desire to stick two fingers up at these schools, her flagship policy of slapping VAT on fees will actually cost the Treasury £1.6 billion according to the respected Adam Smith Institute think tank.
Children are already being pulled out of private schools by their parents and are now having to find places in the state system. Increased class sizes will follow – damaging education for all children no matter which school they go to.
I proudly went to state school, but I sent my own kids to private school. My husband and I worked hard, set-up a business and made sacrifices to do so. Parents across the country are being punished by this government for exercising choice in the education system. It’s wrong and Labour need to re-think this decision.
When it comes to cracking down on non-doms (a UK resident whose permanent home - or domicile - for tax purposes is outside the UK), Labour claimed this would raise £5.23 billion for the government. However, apparently the Treasury is now reviewing this policy because of concerns it will bring in less money than expected because wealthy people (who we need in our country) are planning to leave the UK.
That’s not the only policy being reviewed by the Treasury. According to press reports, Labour’s VAT on private school fees is being reviewed too.
The politics of envy gets you nowhere. It might make Labour feel better, but their policies will do nothing to improve the lives of people in Redditch, the Villages and across the country.
This new government hasn’t even been in power for 100 days yet and already the wheels are falling off the wagon."