Philip Britton

Philip Britton, the incoming chair of HMC – The Heads’ Conference has said history will view the Labour Party unkindly for “its destructive approach to independent education”, the Daily Mail has reported

Britton, head of foundation at Bolton School, said “enormous and damaging change” would be caused by the VAT on fees policy, adding: “During the last months great schools across the country have focused on the best interests of their pupils against enormous and damaging change introduced hastily and carelessly.

“We have been working with HM Revenue and Customs to introduce VAT processes they are not ready for and whose implementation to the required timescale was unfair and unrealistic – yet as it is what must be done, we have done it.”

Britton has previously warned that because of the tax policy Bolton School will be unable to fulfil its ambition of one in three pupils to be on a bursary by 2030. He said: “From one in five to one in three will be much more difficult and will be slowed. That clearly is a detriment to children in the locality. That is a direct impact of VAT.”