Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has defended her decision to send her three children to private schools, arguing that parents may reasonably choose them for quality, special educational needs, sport or arts provision. Her comments matter because she has also supported Labour’s policy of applying VAT to private-school fees, which critics say has increased costs for fee-paying families.

Speaking on The News Agents podcast, the Peckham MP said the Government should not subsidise private-school choices when public budgets are constrained, and that the additional revenue should support state education. The article says Fahnbulleh has not named the schools or disclosed the fees; unnamed sources estimated annual spending of at least £50,000, while nearby schools reportedly charge roughly £27,000 to £30,000 per year.