During Spokesperson’s Questions to Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Education, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, criticised Labour’s triple whammy of higher taxes—raising National Insurance, removing rate relief for charity-run schools, and adding VAT to school fees.

Natasha warned that up to 300 private schools could be forced to close under Labour’s plans, displacing tens of thousands of students and putting 11,000 jobs at risk. These displaced pupils would inevitably move into already overstretched state schools, further straining resources.

Ms Asghar, who said she had recently visited Haberdashers Monmouth School, also challenged the Welsh Government’s stance, questioning why parents seeking the best education for their children should be penalised when both the First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer benefited from similar opportunities.

Natasha Asghar MS, said: “Labour’s triple whammy of taxes highlights their attitude towards private education.

“After 26 years of a Welsh Labour Government, we have the worst educational outcomes in the UK, and things are not improving. Is it any wonder that parents who can afford to do so choose to give their children the same advantages that were afforded to the First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer?

“Despite Labour’s claims that these taxes are about fairness, the reality is they stem from resentment. This isn’t about levelling the playing field—it’s a tax on aspiration and an attack on parental choice.”