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There’s a run on tiny violins thanks to this couple taking ‘fewer holidays’ and drinking ‘a bit less wine’ to pay private school fees

Oonagh Keating. Updated June 5th, 2024

If they win the election, Labour will end the tax breaks on private schools, potentially adding 20% VAT to the current fees.

The Conservative press and ministers are blaming a policy not yet implemented by a government that might never happen for the closure of schools that are currently operating under rules and economic condition resulting from 14 years of Tory governments.

It was also the Telegraph which shared this story about grandparents helping out with school fees, and the sacrifices they’re having to make.

In case that’s tricky to read, here’s what these generous grandparents had to say.

“We were both state-educated, my husband at a grammar school, but today’s schools are just so dysfunctional that we could not rely on them.”

“It does affect our lives,” she adds. “We’ve given up private medical care, which was a sacrifice. There isn’t a Waitrose where we live but if there were, we wouldn’t be shopping at it. We go on fewer holidays and drink a bit less wine. We are certainly more aware of the cost of shopping and less free than we once were.”

It was a tough ask for everyone else to dredge up sympathy for people still able to afford holidays and talking about making a slight adjustment to their wine consumption.

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This checks out.

It’s not the first time the well-off have had to cut their cloth a little more frugally.

But are they still buying expensive coffees? That’s the big question.

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Source Helen Barrett Image Screengrab, Screengrab