Miatta Fahnbulleh Defends Sending Children to Private School Amid VAT Row

Key Points

• Energy and Net Zero Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has stated that she puts all three of her children in private school.
• The Peckham MP insists the government should not take the VAT exemption from fees away from parents, as they can still send their children to independent schools.
• However, Fahnbulleh believes the VAT policy is “the right policy” to give preference to the state’s education program when governments are faced with limited finances.
• The decision to enter private education does not rule anyone out of “the Labour team or the Labour family”, she claims.
• Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake charges her with being a “classic champagne socialist” and hypocrite.
• Critics have reported that the new VAT change (to be implemented in January 2025) has resulted in increased costs and some private school closings.
• After being elected as a Member of Cabinet in July 2026, Fahnbulleh quickly made his way up the ranks to his current position, only just over two years after his election in 2024.
• She points out the government’s obligation is to provide services to all children in the state system, and it cannot cross-subsidise the cost of independent schools.
• It brings up historical tensions between the Labour Party and private education, and others from the past, as well as Abbott, have been criticised.
• Fahnbulleh, who is Liberian and Sierra Leonean, is a former leader of the New Economics Foundation and was an asylum seeker in the UK.

Peckham (Britain Today News) August 29, 2026 – Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has defended her decision to send her three children to private school while championing Labour’s policy to remove VAT exemption on independent school fees, insisting the move is about fiscal responsibility and improving state education. The Net Zero Secretary told The News Agents podcast that parents should be free to choose independent schools for a range of reasons, and that holding that view does not disqualify anyone from being part of the Labour movement. Her comments come as the VAT change, introduced in January 2025, continues to draw sharp criticism from opponents who say it has made private education unaffordable for thousands of families.

Why is Miatta Fahnbulleh’s private school choice controversial?

The controversy centres on the apparent tension between Fahnbulleh’s personal choice and her support for a tax policy that has increased costs for private school parents. As reported by Steven Swinford of The Telegraph, Fahnbulleh pays around £50,000 a year for her children’s private education while having been a prominent advocate for imposing 20% VAT on school fees. Critics argue this looks like hypocrisy, particularly as some families say they can no longer afford fees after the tax change.

What exactly did Miatta Fahnbulleh say about parents’ school choices?

As reported by Lewis Goodall of The News Agents podcast, Fahnbulleh stated:

“If the question you’re asking me is, do I believe that parents should have a choice to send their kids to independent school? I do.”

She added that parents may choose independent schools because they are good, because their children have special educational needs, or because they want schools geared towards sports or arts, and that “that is OK”. She further said:

“I don’t think that precludes me or anyone else who holds that belief from being part of the Labour team or the Labour family.”

How does Fahnbulleh justify supporting VAT on private school fees?

Fahnbulleh has repeatedly described the VAT policy as “the right policy” for a government struggling to balance its books. She told the podcast:

“I know that the VAT exemption has been difficult for some parents. But I still believe that at a time when budgets are really tight it is the right thing for the state to decide that we’re not going to cross-subsidise parents that do make that choice to send their children to independent schools and we’re going to put that money into the state sector where the majority of kids go.”

She described the debate around the exemption as “really bizarre”, adding:

“Of course the Government is not going to cross-subsidise parents sending their children to independent schools.”

What is the impact of Labour’s VAT policy on private schools?

The Government imposed 20% VAT on private school fees in January 2025, a move opponents say has pushed up costs and forced some smaller schools to close. More than 115 fee-paying schools have closed since the tax was introduced, with thousands of parents reporting they can no longer afford fees. Critics within the independent sector argue the policy undermines choice and diversity in education, while Labour maintains the revenue is needed to support state schools.

Why do Conservatives call this ‘champagne socialism’?

Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake has accused Fahnbulleh of “classic champagne socialism”, suggesting she benefits from private education while supporting a tax that hurts other parents. As reported by LBC, Hollinrake said:

“Parents who are now unable to afford to send their kids to private school will no doubt feel aggrieved over this hypocrisy.”

The phrase “champagne socialism” is often used to describe left-wing politicians perceived as enjoying elite privileges while advocating redistributive policies.

How fast did Fahnbulleh rise to the Cabinet?

Fahnbulleh was appointed Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on 20 July 2026, just over two years after winning the Peckham seat at the 2024 general election. As noted by the Evening Standard, her ascent to the Cabinet is faster than that of other Labour high-flyers such as Ed Miliband and Ed Balls. She previously served as chief executive of the left-leaning think tank the New Economics Foundation before entering Parliament.

What is Fahnbulleh’s personal and political background?

Miatta Fahnbulleh is of Liberian and Sierra Leonean descent, and her father served as a minister in Samuel Doe’s government before the family fled Liberia and claimed asylum in the UK. She was privately educated herself, attending Beechwood School in Royal Tunbridge Wells, where fees can reach £8,199 per term. Her husband is believed to be a City trader and hedge-fund founder.
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How does this row fit into wider Labour debates on private education?

Private schools remain a deeply controversial issue within the Labour Party, with past figures such as Diane Abbott also facing criticism for using the independent sector. The Conservatives have accused Labour of stoking “class war” by ending VAT exemption, a charge the government denies. Fahnbulleh’s insistence that private school use does not exclude someone from the “Labour family” seeks to defuse the tension, but the policy continues to divide opinion.

What does Fahnbulleh say about improving state schools?

Fahnbulleh has emphasised that her priority is to improve the state system, stating:

“The job for me is really clear. We’ve got to get to a system where our state education system is serving all of our children.”

She argues that the VAT revenue helps fund state education, which serves the majority of children, and that the government’s duty is to make decisions in the public interest.