ANDREW PIERCE: Why is Keir Starmer intent on denying some others the education and learning HE appreciated?

Even by Keir Starmer’s common criteria, his new hypocrisy around personal schooling has been nothing limited of spectacular.

In a policy lifted straight from the hymn ebook of his Marxist predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour chief confirmed in the Residence of Commons yesterday that he would scrap the charitable position of the 2,400 non-public universities in England if he were Prime Minister.

As an instant consequence, university charges would increase by 20 per cent to accommodate VAT. Critics have dismissed the move as a blatant try to incite class envy: some thing he hopes will placate the big and enduring Corbynite wing of his Social gathering and gain votes at the upcoming general election.

But the coverage makes minor financial feeling and could see up to 200 non-public faculties – which collectively contribute £16.5 billion to the British isles financial system – forced to near. Increased service fees would also hammer difficult-functioning center course families, with up to 90,000 children acquiring to swap to the currently in excess of-burdened point out procedure.

The Labour chief verified in the Residence of Commons yesterday that he would scrap the charitable status of the 2,400 private faculties in England if he ended up Prime Minister

Starmer, whose father Rodney owned a prosperous tool-earning firm and whose mom Jo was a nurse, has constantly performed up his allegedly ‘working class’ qualifications

Nevertheless there is a different issue way too: the Labour leader’s staggering double standards. For Sir Keir, 60, knows far better than most the added benefits of an high-priced training.

In truth, Starmer, whose father Rodney owned a profitable instrument-earning company and whose mother Jo was a nurse, has always played up his allegedly ‘working class’ credentials.

So considerably so that, when distributing his Who’s Who entry in 2009, he selected to omit the truth that when he passed his 11-Moreover in 1974, he gained a place at Reigate Grammar Faculty, in Surrey.

Two decades immediately after he joined, however, and just after Margaret Thatcher’s federal government moved to scrap grammars, the faculty was compelled to develop into private.

Sir Keir’s parents reportedly agonised about how they would cover the charges – but they needn’t have fearful. In a excellent stroke of luck, the local schooling authority stepped in at the last moment to spend them. Little ones from greater-off family members and any new pupils had to pay.

And so it was that Sir Keir loved the positive aspects of five decades at a single of Britain’s greatest non-public educational institutions.

To this day, Reigate is constantly rated among the top rated 50 independent educational facilities in the region, with fees beginning at £20,000 a calendar year (rising to £24,000 underneath a Starmer govt).

With its 25-metre swimming pool, ‘fitness suite’, 32 acres of athletics grounds (such as rugby, hockey, cricket and football pitches) and even its possess café, the 1,100-pupil school presents everything an bold youthful particular person could need to obtain a rounded instruction.

Although there, Sir Keir learnt to play the flute, piano and recorder – and was very good adequate to secure a place at the prestigious Junior Guildhall Faculty of Music in London as a teen. Each Saturday morning he would journey to the city for lessons with some of the greatest audio teachers in Britain, quite a few of whom performed in qualified orchestras. Sir Keir claims classical new music continues to be a distinct passion, with Beethoven’s piano sonatas counting amongst his favourites.

With such a amazing schooling below his belt, Sir Keir went on to receive a location at the University of Leeds, ahead of going to Oxford to study a postgraduate degree in Civil Law.

The relaxation is background. He soared to the top of the authorized occupation as a barrister, getting Director of Community Prosecutions in 2008, for which he obtained his knighthood in 2014. The subsequent 12 months he turned his hand to politics, and inside five yrs he was Leader of the Opposition – and is now the favorite to be the subsequent Primary Minister.

Sir Keir learnt to enjoy the flute, piano and recorder – and was excellent enough to secure a area at the prestigious Junior Guildhall Faculty of Songs in London as a teenager

It is absolutely an impressive CV, but the problem continues to be as to no matter whether Sir Keir would have attained any of it had he been booted out of Reigate when it became non-public in 1976, and compelled alternatively to attend a nearby comprehensive?

A person matter which is for confident is that Sir Keir is grateful for the instruction he been given. In 2017 he was the guest of honour at a fundraising supper at the East India Club, a stuffy institution for the old guard in St James’s, London, which when counted Nigel Farage as a member.

All through his speech that night, Sir Keir mirrored, in accordance to a faculty publication that described the party, on his ‘fond recollections of his time at university and of the very first-course instruction he gained which laid the system for his successful career’.

He remains an ambassador for the school’s charitable foundation which raises cash for the local group and helps modern Reigate leavers in their chosen vocation paths.

What a shame, then, that numerous mom and dad of pupils at present at Reigate must be deeply involved about whether they will be in a position to afford to keep their children at the college, really should its well known alumnus enact a policy that would inevitably cause its service fees to soar.

Ironically, these are the quite very same problems that Starmer’s very own parents Rodney and Jo faced 50 a long time in the past, till the local authority stepped in.

So why is it, you might question, that Sir Keir remains so identified to deny 1000’s of small children the superb opportunities he was fortunate enough to get pleasure from?