Labour votes to AXE private schools – Corbyn declares class war

Members have supported a motion which calls on the next Labour general election manifesto to commit to “integrate all private schools into the state sector”. This would include withdrawal of charitable status and “all other public subsidies and tax privileges”, including business rate exemption. The motion adds universities would have to admit the same proportion of private school students as in the wider population, currently at seven percent.

This vote came during the Labour Party’s annual conference, which is taking place in Brighton this weekend. 

Campaigners welcomed the vote for the party to effectively abolish public schools.

Momentum’s national coordinator Laura Parker said: “This is a huge step forward in dismantling the privilege of a tiny, Eton educated elite who are running our country into the ground.

“Every child deserves a world class education, not only those who are able pay for it, and I’ll be proud to campaign on this manifesto pledge at the next election.”

Holly Rigby, from the Abolish Eton campaign, said: “We are delighted that Labour has committed to integrating all private schools into the state sector and that it will feature in the next manifesto.

“This huge leap forward is a testament to the hard work of grassroots Labour members and the ambition and determination of Angela Rayner and John McDonnell.

“They have worked with and listened to members every step of the way, writing this policy hand in hand with the movement. This is what a democratic Labour Party lookS like.

“We will dismantle systems of privilege and inequality and build a society that works for the millions and not the millionaires.”

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There was also a debate on schools motions, including one moved by Battersea constituency party which calls on the next Labour general election manifesto to commit to “integrate all private schools into the state sector”.

This would include withdrawal of charitable status and “all other public subsidies and tax privileges”, including business rate exemption.

The motion adds universities would also have to admit the same proportion of private school students as in the wider population, currently 7%.

In her speech, Ms Rayner also said Labour will introduce a price cap for school uniforms to make education fairer to “stop the scandal of children priced out of school” and end the “spiralling cost of school uniforms”.

She added: “Parents forced into debt, children in clothes that often don’t fit, and the Tories failing for four years to keep their promise to act.”

Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said at the conference that a Labour government would reverse cuts to legal aid.

He said: “In recent years, deep cuts have hollowed out legal aid.

“In much of our country, crucial legal support is no longer available to people who need it. When that happens, equality before the law is a fiction.”

He added: “I commit that within the first 100 days of a Jeremy Corbyn government, Labour will reverse all the Conservative cuts to legal aid-funded early legal help.”

Mr Burgon also announced a Labour government would provide £20 million for “People’s Law Centres” and also fund the training contracts for 200 new community lawyers.