The body representing independent schools in the UK has described the shadow education secretary as “very chippy” in private messages, as it steps up its campaign against Labour’s plan to add VAT to school fees.
A public access request to the Independent Schools Council about Bridget Phillipson revealed that officials said she “doesn’t know diddly” and suggested she should “appreciate the great good our sector does”.
In a sign of their more aggressive tactics as Labour moves further ahead in the polls, the lobby group has written to the party’s MPs with private schools in their constituencies to warn them of the impact of the policy on pupils’ families.
It has also sent an email, seen by the Guardian, to independent schools predicting that it is looking “increasingly likely” that Labour will come to power at the next general election and that the VAT policy could cause “damage” to their sector.
One letter gives schools a template that Labour insiders suggest could be shared with parents to try to discredit the party’s policy, including details of, for example, how much the ISC claims the local state education system saves as a result of private schools existing.
