Side by side
Schools, universities and skills — funding, standards and who pays for what. Parties are ordered left to right by our placement on the spectrum. Each line is the position in brief — open in full for the detail and where it is contested.
- Green
-7 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
- Labour
-3 on our scale
VAT on private school fees, in force since January 2025
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VAT has been charged at the standard 20% rate on private school fees since 1 January 2025, removing a long-standing exemption. The Treasury forecast the measure would raise £1.51bn in 2025/26.
The government's own forecast expected 37,000 pupils — about 6% of the private sector — to move into state schools as a result. Several large private schools responded by sharply expanding bursaries.
Check itVAT on private school fees — House of Commons Library - Lib Dems
-2 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
- Conservative
+5 on our scale
Criticises VAT on school fees but will not reverse it
In full ▾Less ▴
The party has criticised the imposition of VAT on private school fees but has not committed to reversing it in government.
No broader schools programme published under the current leadership.
Check itVAT on private school fees — House of Commons Library - Reform
+8 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
- Restore
+9 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
2 of 6 parties have a position we could source on this. A blank row may mean the party has said little, or that we have not found what it has said.
Positions are summarised from each party’s published material. How we place parties.
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