Labour chaos on plan to add VAT to private school fees as Emily Thornberry suggests the move WOULD increase class sizes at state schools – but is slapped down by other frontbenchers who insist it won’t

Labour’s plans to impose VAT over private school fees has thrown into chaos today after Emily Thornberry suggested class sizes will increase in the state sector.

The shadow attorney general caused a stir by acknowledging that the 20 per cent levy on school fees would force children to leave, but said: ‘It’s fine.’

In an interview about a car accident, she added, “If we have to have bigger classes, we have bigger classes.”

However, shadow education secretary Bridget Philipson roundly contradicted Ms Thornberry as she toured the broadcasting studios this morning, saying she would ‘have a word’ with her colleague.

She told Times Radio: ‘I’m afraid that just wasn’t right.

Emily Thornberry caused a stir by acknowledging that the 20 per cent levy on school fees would force children to leave, but said: ‘It’s fine.’

Shadow education secretary Bridget Philipson bluntly contradicted Ms Thornberry in interviews this morning, saying she would ‘have a word’ with her colleague

“What we are actually seeing in the state sector is a declining number of students in our classrooms because of the declining birth rate, and fewer young people are coming to school.

‘So actually quite quickly we will be in the position – and this is already the case in places like London – where schools are merging and closing because of falling numbers.’

Asked if she would like to speak to Ms Thornberry about her comments, Ms Phillipson said: “You are welcome because that is not the position we are seeing at the moment.

The position contrasts with Tony Blair‘s 1997 election promise to reduce class sizes to 30 for ages five to seven.

Secretary of Education Gillian Keegan said: ‘Today Labor admitted their tax raid will lead to ‘larger class sizes’ in state schools, penalizing children to pay for their plans.

“It’s not just hardworking parents who will pay the price… it’s our children who will be affected by Labour’s politics of envy.”

Ms Thornberry, who failed the 11 Plus and took a secondary modern, tried to defend Labour’s plans on GB News yesterday morning.

Asked how Labor could justify fears about pushing tens of thousands of extra students into the state sector, she said: “There are schools that certainly have vacancies.

‘My primary schools and secondary schools have space and are very welcome.

“And they’re good schools and people should send their kids there.

“It’s okay, you know.

“And if we need to have larger classes in the short term, then we have larger classes.”

Estimates vary on how many students will be pushed into the state sector by Labor’s policies.

One of the more conservative predictions came last year from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said this would rise to 40,000 – or seven per cent of the private school population.

A number of municipalities have already announced that there is no room for additional students to transfer to local secondary schools.

However, municipalities are legally obliged to provide a place for every child who needs one, meaning some schools may have to take in more students than there is capacity.

A bulge in the student population, caused by the baby boom of more than a decade ago, is currently shifting from primary to secondary schools, creating a shortage of places.

Labor introduced legislation in 1998 to limit class sizes for five to seven year olds to 30 students, but there are no legal limits for older children.

Former Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed in his 2017 election campaign that 40,000 primary school children were being crammed ‘like sardines’ into classes of 36 or more.

A spokesperson for campaign group Education Not Taxation said: ‘Labour once claimed that children were being packed in like sardines in state schools, but Emily Thornberry says she is happy to cram more children in.

‘This policy is unfair in every respect. It hurts children who are forced out of independent schools, but also children in already full state schools with their own problems.

‘Emily Thornberry would not accept this as a parent.’

Mrs Thornberry attended Larch Avenue School, a secondary school in Guildford, now Christ’s College.

She was previously criticized for turning away comprehensive schools near her home in Islington and sending her children to the partially selective Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar, 13 miles away.

She said in 2020 about the decision: “As a mother, I will never apologize for doing the best for my children.”

Labor says the VAT increase, which could come at the start of the next school year, will provide £1.7 billion to spend on state education, including extra teachers.

A Labor spokesperson said: ‘Average class sizes will decline under a future Labor government.

‘Private schools have been raising fees well above inflation for years, and the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies says there will be no substantial displacement of students from the independent sector.

‘Labor will use the money raised to invest in driving high and rising standards in our state schools with an additional 6,500 new teachers, ongoing teacher training, mental health support in every school and careers advice and work experience for every young person.