General Election: VAT plan for school fees could impact every child in Bedford says Reform UK candidate

The proposed VAT on school fees could impact every child in Bedford and the surrounding areas, the Reform UK candidate for Bedford has said.

Matt Lansley said Labour’s election pledge will affect Bedford “more than anywhere else”.

“If one of the independent schools [in Bedford] collapses, and I’m getting emails every day saying that’s a possibility, it will impact every child in Bedford.

“And put thousands of local jobs, directly and indirectly, at risk for people who work out of or supply the private schools.

“Emily Thornberry [Labour’s shadow attorney general for England and Wales] admitted that classes may grow.

“Which again will impact every child in Bedford and the surrounding areas.

“Labour doesn’t plan on building one new school with the extra taxation and I think this is a really key issue,” he said.

In Reform UK’s manifesto (contract) it promises to make the first £20,000 somebody earns free from income tax, scrap VAT on energy bills and “lower the fuel duty to save on energy bills”. How will this be funded?

“Firstly through cutting wasteful spending, including the Bank of England playing interest on their quantitative easing reserves,” Mr Lansley said.

“Secondly through creating an atmosphere where our economy will grow.

“Our economy has been stagnant for the last six or seven quarters, and high taxes and excess red tape are killing growth.

“9,500 millionaires left the UK last year taking with them potentially billions in future tax.

“If we can get the economy growing again then our tax receipts will grow and the other tax cuts will pay for themselves – by growth,” he said.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked what will be the catalyst that’s going to grow everything so Reform UK can afford to do this?

“I’m a big believer that you can’t tax your way out of poverty,” Mr Lansley said.

“The low taxation for the working class of £20,000 tax free will get the working class and middle class spending again, which will restart the economy.

“And the lower corporation tax will start investment coming again.

“There are countries that are growing six per cent for years though, and I think growing the economy at 1 per cent a year shouldn’t be scoffed at as an impossible target.

“I think that’s a really, really, reasonable target to aim for,” he said.

Reform UK has also promised 40,000 new front line police officers, would this be additional or does it include replacing officers who retire or leave for other reasons?

“That’s new police officers across five years, and the plan is to bring it to 300 police officers per 100,000 population, which is pretty much the norm across most of Europe,” Mr Lansley said.

“There needs to be a refresh of the police system, isn’t just a case of pressing a button for 40,000 new police officers and they’ll arrive.

“This is a plan over four or five years and some part of that will be changes to the vetting processes,” he said.

The other candidates standing to be Bedford’s next MP are:

Prince Sadiq Chaudhury – Workers PartyPinder Chauhan – ConservativeBen Foley – Green

Tarek Javed – IndependentHenry Vann – Lib DemMohammad Yasin – Labour

The election will be held on July 4.