How to fix the elites

Few things get the British quite as worked up as private schools. To the left, they are factories of inequality that turn scions of privilege into the elite of tomorrow. To the right, they are an expression of parental choice and part of Britain’s schooling heritage. To ambitious mothers and fathers, they are a way to boost the professional and social chances of their offspring. To many others, they are the source of every smarmy, over-confident midwit ever encountered in life. 

Their fees are also exempt from VAT, which is a sore point for a lot of people. Not because it means the exchequer loses out on a great deal of money but because it feels wrong in principle. Why should people who can afford to spend tens of thousands of pounds a year sending their sprogs to snooty day or boarding schools get a tax break to help them pay for it? Better to spend that money improving state schools.