Is Labour Now Virtually Communist?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49786645
Looks like they intend to plunder private schools and steal their assets.

[Zacs-Master]

Do they not realise that as soon as they announced this (assuming the preposterous idea that they got into power) people would stop paying for private education and so the pot would soon be dry?

[New Judge]

I think they are more Marxist than Communist. They (or at least the "Momentum" element that appears to have taken over the party) seem to believe that all privately owned assets should be sequestrated and placed into public ownership.


Their philosophy will soon stretch to the confiscation of privately owned houses and flats which will be placed into a "pot" of publicly owned assets to be utilised as the politburo decrees. It will make Brexit look like the Teddy Bears' Picnic.

[Theland]

The tail that wags the dog is getting more apparent and the sooner the Corbynistas see it the better.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Haven't read the article, TTT, but one proposal was to give tenants the right to buy from their landlords.

So, yes, we're in Kulak and Gulag terrain, innit?

(You would need to understand both those references, of course. Do you you think our typical "teacher" at primary school - save the planet, kids - understands either of those terms, or can even spell them?

[brainiac]

It seems Corbyn now wants to fight the imminent General Election without saying whether the Labour Party is backing Remain or Leave, which is beyond parody. With a policy like that, there is zero chance of them coming to power, so how 'communist' they are doesn't matter.
They can't be that against private schools - Diane Abbott sent her son to one!

[vetuste_ennemi]

Apologies. I hadn't noticed that NJ had mad the same point seven minutes earlier.

[Gromit]

The definition of what is Communist must have changed recently, because what Labour have signalled is both fair and just.

// Private schools currently benefit from tax loopholes. Those would be scrapped by a Labour government in its first budget, This includes the withdrawal of charitable status, other public subsidies and tax privileges. //

Money saved from not subsidising elite privateschools would instead be channeled back into State Schools.

Brilliant.

We should not be giving money to rich people who opt out of state education for their children then want the taxpayer to subsidise the schools.

[Gromit]

The State provides universal schooling to all taxpayers. Private schools are an alternative for wealthy people to opt out of the state education system. They are a money making commercial venture. Nowt wrong with that.
What is wrong is claiming they are a charity to evade tax and to claim other grants and monies from the tax payers.

[jim360]

Nowhere near -- yet -- but it's moving further to the left for sure.

[New Judge]

//What is wrong is claiming they are a charity to evade tax and to claim other grants and monies from the tax payers.//

But of course you neglect to note that people paying for their children to be educated privately (many of whom are not in the least "wealthy") are not placing the burden for that service on those very taxpayers whom you mention.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Don't know how old Gromit is, but he's still trapped in (or the unfortunate heritee of) the Shirley William's' stuff of my early twenties when Vera Brittain's daughter decide that the working class should remain subservient.

The issue is the quality of teaching. I was well taught as a kid and it didn't cost my parents a penny. Ms Williams and her successors obviously found fault with the policy of working class kids getting free education and contrived policies to deny it.

[mushroom25]

//Is Labour Now Virtually Communist?//

in the context of schools, you'll get your answer once the manifesto pledge is turned into working policy - will the standards of education be lifted by an integration policy, or dragged down to a lowest common denominator?

[Khandro]

In the early 90's there was a TV series called GBH in which Michael Palin played a much-loved headmaster of a school for disturbed children. At one point he is confronted by a shouty Marxist type telling him how the World should be.
Palin says to him, what I would like to say to the Mcdonnells & his Momentum cohorts; "So, you've read one book, now go and read another!"

[ToraToraTora]

ZM:"Do they not realise that as soon as they announced this (assuming the preposterous idea that they got into power) people would stop paying for private education and so the pot would soon be dry? "
I don't think they are capable of rational thought ZM.
judge: "They (or at least the "Momentum" element that appears to have taken over the party) seem to believe that all privately owned assets should be sequestrated and placed into public ownership. " - except their own of course!
VE:"Haven't read the article, TTT, but one proposal was to give tenants the right to buy from their landlords. " - who'd have thought they'd be such fans of TGL?

[gulliver1]

Bloody heck if he closed Eton , would that mean no more Tory PMs,? PMSL.

[mushroom25]

Edward Heath, John Major and Margaret Thatcher not only didn't go to Eton, they didn't go to public school. conversely Tony Blair was privately educated, and so was Jeremy Corbyn.

[ToraToraTora]

good point mush, that upsets the stereotyping somewhat! john Major was brought up in a circus and has the dubious distinction of being the only man in history to run away from the circus to become an accountant!

[Gromit]

Private schools currently avoid £1.6Billion in Tax due to a variety of loopholes.
Labour will close those loopholes, and the £16Billion will go into improving state schools.

Anyone who wishes to Privately educate their children will still be able to. But they will have to pay the proper commercial rate and not a heavily subsidised rate which swindles the taxpayer.

Why should you or I have subsidise Diane Abbott’s sons’ private education? But we did because his school fees were less due to various tax avoidance incentives to the school, and the exemption of VAT.

If people are fortunate to be rich, and want to pay for education, then good for them. Just don’t expect the state to chip in for a discount.

[Gromit]

mushroom25

Thanks for the info on Corbyn’s private education, I didn’t know that.
Proof if ever there was any that private education doesn’t necessarily mean better education.
He got two A Levels at Grade E.
I wonder if his parents got their school fees back? ;-)

[ToraToraTora]

gromit, I agree they should pay tax like a business but Labour is proposing to abolish the whole system and steal their assets.