Rachel Reeves

Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves steered away from any mention of taking away charitable status from independent schools in a rabble-rousing speech delivered to Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool  this lunchtime.

Reeves said: “In my first Budget as chancellor of the exchequer I will end the tax loophole which exempts private schools from paying VAT and business rates. And conference, we will put that money into helping the 93% of our children  who are in our state schools.”

Reeves’ words were greeted with rapturous applause and cheering from the conference delegates.

Reeves continued: “And I tell you, if Rishi Sunak wants a fight on this, if the party that has herded our children into portakabins while our school roofs crumble, wants a fight about who has the most aspiration for our children, then I say bring it on!”