As readers of my previous blog will know, last Thursday I was part of the sector’s deputation at the House of Lords, to support the debate on the Labour Government’s proposals to impose 20% vat on private school fees.

Whilst there was overwhelming support in the Lords for Lord Lexden’s proposals, first and foremost the suggestion to delay the VAT imposition until September 2025, one Labour Baroness in support of Government policy told the heart rending story of her own daughter’s first day at her secondary state school in Dulwich, squashed into a site too small to permit free movement because it had had to sell its playing fields off to neighbouring Dulwich College. As with all schools in our sector, Dulwich is as ‘rich as Croesus’, with pupils ‘basking in the privilege of their upbringing’.

Baroness Ramsey’s spoken words in the house, using this as exemplar, were used to prove that our sector deserves all that’s coming to it. The words said bear no relationship to the reality down in Dulwich. The research suggests we have been told deep lies and more, now uncovered and submitted to the Commissioner for Standards. It was over 30 years ago when the sleeze that undermined the Major government caused Parliament to set up this office. I genuinely want to believe Sir Kier Starmer and his cabinet have set out to show Respect, Responsibility, Loyalty and Integrity – sadly it looks like conviction politics, decision over need and the actual reality in the ground.

The letter expressing complaint can be read here: it’s difficult to accept that a newly appointed Peer of the Realm could make such statements so far from the truth and reality of Dulwich life.

What’s so worrying is that the messages coming out of the Civil Service have currently yet to surface; that’s the problem with apparatchik appointments at the top, Boris had Dominic Cummings, Kier has Sue Grey – they both know they are ‘right’ and can ‘bend the rules’ – here’s one of many crass errors made, in public, on the TV and on public record.

Please comment on this blog or make direct contact to JTW@clairescourt. We ‘have this’, but I need your work too!