The VAT raid on private schools could be changed amid a backlash from military families ahead of the Budget, The Telegraph understands.
The Treasury previously said ministers would “closely monitor the impact” of the policy on children of serving personnel and diplomats, and that any changes would be considered next year.
However, The Telegraph understands that the monitoring and cross-government discussions are happening now after military families warned that they could leave the Armed Forces over fee increases.
Ah, yes, I did, didn’t I?
But doesn’t The Military pay military families’ school fees? So, if VAT levied, the government paying the government.
Not quite – you get an allowance which is capped. Won’t afford Eton for example. But it’s also only 90% of what the actual fees are. So, adding VAT makes a difference.
And the real biggie will be the diplomats, not the military. They’re rather closer to government, see?
Yeah, who gives a monkey’s about the military? They don’t protect TTK and anyway, he’s got orders to get rid of them. but diplomats are vital. TTK is crap at communicating so they’re desperately needed…
Stuff all that, when are councils going to congestion charge the school run. £1 a time for passing a flashing yellow. Or there ain’t no climate emergency.
If there were uncertainties about the “impact” and if it were possible to restore the status quo ante this might make sense. In this instance, however, the impact would be akin to striking a teacup with a big hammer.
Who was it who predicted this difficulty then?
Oh come on, it didn’t need Nostradamus or Mystic Meg to see that one coming. Only dim wits, mid wits, class warriors and the likes of Spud didn’t see that one coming, or at least claim they didn’t because they mostly had their fingers in their ears whilst chanting I’m not listening to neo liberals.
I think people don’t understand how big a factor CEA is in service families
If you are being frequently moved continuity of education is hugely important.
You don’t get any choice jn state schools if you move into a new area, despite all the covenant bollocks your kids go where there is room, same with healthcare. That usually means there is a sink school, a GO if you are lucky and no NHS dentist, so you are constantly reliant on NHS111, or private (not refunded)
So for healthcare, stability and educational reasons private schooling is more or less essential, especially in the Army
Although the lefties will say it’s only the officers that benefit, in my experience it is senior NCOs that benefit the most
The last government was already mucking about with accommodation charges, there have been three disasters with contractors maintaining family accommodation and now the defenders of working people want to add huge costs to children’s education (CEA doesn’t pay for all the costs, just a percentage of fees)
If this government is serious about having an effective armed forces they may want to consider not mucking about the key personnel that directly influence operational capability and morale. A cadre that can get better jobs outside (and who have partners nagging them to go as they want to preserve their careers and sanity and are fed up with MOD incompetence)
A situation so obvious that one wonders how the brain-dead imbeciles that came up with the policy did not see it coming
There are very definitely people who hit Major – and equal other ranks – obvs too late to make Lt Col but who then stay in to 55. Because there’s simply no way the private sector is going to pay enough to send 3 (say, example) kids to private schools. So there’s that.
On the other hand. Pops was RN. A posting to Naples when I was 8 – that’s fine, AFSouth had a British primary school (they’re run by the RAF for some reason). Back to England when I was 10. RN paid for private schools after that – as those RAF schools top out at 11. There just aren’t schools abroad that teach to GCSE and A level. Now, I nearly made it without needing private school. But Pops was sent to the US 6 months before my A Levels. Which would have been a difficult time to change really.
OK, but my two older sisters, that Naples thing came right in the middle of their O Levels. And for my younger brother the US was at O Levels, the next posting (back to Naples) would have been his A Levels.
There are state boarding schools. Bath has one (Beechen Cliff, the old Bath Boys Grammar) 98% day, small boarding house (20, mebbe 30 kids?). But even then boarding fees – just to board, nothing added for the teaching – are £12,300 pa. Difficult to cover that out of earned income in the military. I could deffo have gone there (it’s at the top of our street really) and it was considered. Nearly did in fact.
But given the near entire lack of Brit syllabus secondary schooling where the military bods get sent at least the ability to board is essential.
A bit like the reverse ferret going on with pension funds when they realised the biggest losers would be the public sector grifters like NHS employees Doctors etc etc
It’s so heartwarming to watch the managerial mandarin class, so delighted that their political wing is now in power, suddenly realise that the political wing’s “egalitarian” ideas will have a direct negative effect on the mandarin class’s quality of life.
What is must be to have a Rolls Royce brain, eh?
“how the brain-dead imbeciles that came up with the policy did not see it coming”
Put otherwise, the marxist cunts did see it coming and it was the result they wanted.
The obvious solution is to stop their ridiculous costumed LARPing, and leave the military.
You’d have to be a bit thick to work for so little money anyway.
Well, sorta. £60k isn’t nothing, the pension scheme is good. But 3 kids at public school? That’s another £75k a year tax free. Which is, really, quite a lot.
Tim – £60k isn’t nothing
It used to be something, before inflation (and especially house price inflation) whittled away the purchasing power of a £60K salary.
Now, it’s probably not enough to get a mortgage on a detached family house in most of the UK. We have junior sales and techie staff in their 20’s earning more than that, but you need to get to Major in the army to clear £63k a year before tax. £63k isn’t a lot of money to risk your life for.
Yarp, pensions are much better- if you trust the British government to still be able and willing to pay your completely unfunded public sector pension in 20 or 30 years time.
My point is sorta a little bit different. There are those who join the military specifically to gain those education bennies. Because they are indeed substantial if you’re middling middle class, even minor but unmonied gentry. With a large family they’re really very substantial in fact. And there are absolutely certainly those who’ve maxed out the rank they’re going to get to (this becomes apparent perhaps mid to late 30s. If you’re not past Major by 40 you probably won’t) but who stay in until 55 to keep those bennies.
Think on it a little. That county family, not overendowed with brains. Looking for a decent career. Provincial solicitor, maybe accountant, this sorta thing maybe? Military life provides status, obvs. But the pay is bad – until you add in that obvs the kiddies are going to go private and suddenly those bennies look v attractive compared to the other likely professions.
Tim – But the pay is bad – until you add in that obvs the kiddies are going to go private and suddenly those bennies look v attractive compared to the other likely professions.
I understand (I am Chauncey Gardner).
This is part of the traditional bargain between HM forces and uniformed employees.
But does it still look attractive to potential staff in the Year of Our Lord 2024?
Army fails to meet recruitment targets at all training centres for five years
Report says that for every eight troops who leave the Armed Forces only five join
-the Telegraph, Feb 24
If they’re exiting 8 guys for every 5 who join, that doesn’t sound like the army is a very attractive option anymore. But don’t worry:
An Army spokesperson said: “We continue to recruit the significant numbers of diverse talent needed to maintain a competitive advantage now and in the future.
Lol.
Tim, this is either an actionable slur or sound analysis, depending whether respectively you’re an ex-accountant who used to practise in Downham Market, or a reader of this blog.
That county family, not overendowed with brains. Looking for a decent career. Provincial solicitor, maybe accountant,
There is a difference between the numbers of potential recruits and the numbers of potential recruits processed, which until recently was being done (badly) by Serco
As to net outflows-
Underfunded military
Over committed military: more time away, less time at home when you do get home, home time being eaten into by MACP tasks,miscellaneous nonsense and training for next deployment
Squaddies being hung out to dry over Iraq, Afghanistan and northern Ireland
Family pressures (partners want careers and not content to ‘follow the fleet’
Piss poor accommodation managed very badly
Pensions being eroded
More charges being introduced (been delayed after furore)
Potential CEA changes
All the benefits of being non-unionised but public sector
Not surprising is it?
Starfish – also the RAF (and the rest of our costumed civil servants) have let it be known they don’t want white men anymore. White men are at the bottom of the new racial hierarchy unveiled in 2020 after that black criminal died of a fentanyl overdose in America.
If the society you belong to is busily erasing itself under an avalanche of foreigners, there’s no reason to sacrifice anything to “defend” this state of affairs, is there?
They can’t even recruit the majority of slow learners and dullards who still think they have a country to serve:
Fewer than one in 10 applicants reportedly ended up joining the British Armed Forces last year due to long delays in the recruitment process – although the MOD insists recruitment is seeing positive results.
According to figures unveiled by Labour, 74,000 potential recruits of the 137,000 people who applied to join the Navy, Army and RAF last year gave up because the overall process took too long.
It was also reported that the British Army, whose recruitment has been managed by Capita since 2012, had the worst problems and lost 70% of its potential recruits.
That’s why the British Army (sic) is now recruiting Africans directly from Africa. I wonder how that will affect their “competitive advantage”, lol.
In their own words, “the forces” think you’re useless and they also feel entitled to discriminate against you and your sons on a biological level:
White men seeking to join the Royal Air Force were described as “useless white male pilots” in leaked emails
Good luck in your wars, gang. You will need it if you ever fight somebody who can hit back. 🙂
PS – sorry for the triple post, but this stuff is amazing. One of the oldest armed forces in the world is trying to abolish itself:
Row breaks out between army top brass as senior soldiers claim Commonwealth recruits ‘lack respect’ and have ‘half-hearted allegiances to King and Country’
By Mark Nicol and Richard Eden
23:18 19 Jul 2024, updated 23:35 19 Jul 2024
An extraordinary row broke out between military chiefs and senior soldiers in the Army’s most prestigious regiments over recruits from Commonwealth nations.
In a hugely controversial letter sent to top brass, experienced troops accused Commonwealth applicants of being interested only in sending money back to their families.
Among the astonishing allegations is that the mostly African recruits they refer to lack respect for the Guards regiments and have only ‘half-hearted allegiances to King and Country’.
The Daily Mail is “astonished” to learn that foreign mercenaries from the Third World are in it for the money. Equally astonishing are the inevitable problems that arise when you ditch UK staff for cheap foreign labour:
The letter says: ‘A large majority of Commonwealth students struggle to understand what is being asked of them, making even the most basic tasks problematic. Often other recruits have to translate information into their native language.
‘When training progresses on to platoon attacks, this could be a ticking time bomb.’
But never fear! The dead, gay hand of the British State was moved to action – to get rid of the pesky white men and their observations:
An Army spokesman said: ‘The views expressed in this letter fell short of the values and standards of the British Army and appropriate actions have been taken.
Their “values”, eh?
home time being eaten into by MACP tasks
Is MACP when soldiers are deployed to build sandbag walls during flooding and helping quell riots when the natives get uppity about being replaced by people of a more dusky hue?
An Army spokesman said: ‘The views expressed in this letter fell short of the values and standards of the British Army and appropriate actions have been taken.
That’s right.
When someone highlights a problem, the appropriate action is to shoot the messenger and then stick your head in the sand while patting yourself on the back about how fucking woke you are.
Jeez.
Emulating Steve with the hattrick post…
Here’s a lovely article pointing out we have more diversity groups in the army than tanks…
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/09/26/armed-forces-recruiting-crisis-diversity-capita-woke-white/
Makes you proud to be British!
#isthatatankinyourpocketorareyoujustpleasedtoseeme
Got a link to that article you quoted Steve?
CD – here you go:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13653265/amp/army-soldiers-Commonwealth-recruits-lack-respect-allegiances-King.html
NB that the average IQ in Nigeria is 70, so I hope they recruit thousands of them.
“ Although the lefties will say it’s only the officers that benefit, in my experience it is senior NCOs that benefit the most”
It takes about 9 years to make sergeant, although fast trackers might be quicker, which puts them about 27 to 30, a time when the stability of children’s education is starting to become important.
They are also the group that have proved themselves and will be providing the pool of future company, squadron and ultimately regimental sergeant majors, and the army needs to hang on to the best of them.
It’s similar with other officers, by the time they reach major they are doing important jobs that need experience as well as providing the serious pool of future general staff, so again you want to be able to hang on to the best.
@BNIB
My point exactly
“County families not over-endowed with brains” – so the ones who didn’t expect to get scholarships to their choice of Public Schools [not universally, even though generally, true – the Oxford light-welterweight in my first year had been to Sandhurst]
Comments are closed.