Burnham’s left-wing Net Zero secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh accused of ‘classic champagne socialism’ after it emerges she sends ALL of her children to private school
Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Labour MP for Peckham and newly appointed Energy Secretary under Andy Burnham, has been accused of hypocrisy after The Mail on Sunday revealed she sends all three of her children to private schools, despite having championed the government's decision to impose VAT on independent school fees. The disclosure has drawn criticism given the policy has been blamed for driving up costs and pushing thousands of pupils out of private education, prompting Conservative party chairman Kevin Hollinrake to accuse her of "classic champagne socialism."
Fahnbulleh, 46, confirmed she uses private schooling when confronted by the newspaper but would not disclose how much she spends, with sources estimating it at upwards of £50,000 a year; her husband is a City trader and hedge-fund founder. The family lives near several elite schools, including Colfe's School (£27,000 a year) and St Dunstan's (£30,000 a year). The report notes that around 30,000 children have left independent schools since the VAT policy was introduced, roughly double the government's original estimate, and that Fahnbulleh herself attended a private boarding school without mentioning it in her published biography.
In short
- Energy Secretary Fahnbulleh privately educates her children despite backing VAT on school fees
- Critics, including a Tory chairman, call it "champagne socialism"
- Around 30,000 pupils have reportedly left private schools since the VAT policy began
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A politician advocating for systemic policy change is not inherently hypocritical for using legal options available within the current system, as reform is achieved through democratic processes applied universally rather than individual sacrifice. Parents reasonably prioritise their children's welfare and education, and unilateral abstention from available services would not advance policy goals; many progressive advocates similarly support public systems whilst using private alternatives where they judge it benefits their families.
The case against
The accusation reflects a genuine inconsistency: championing a policy designed to reduce private education's accessibility whilst spending an estimated £50,000 annually to insulate one's own children from it suggests selective conviction. When the policy has demonstrably displaced around 30,000 children from private education, a politician who championed it whilst protecting her family's access appears to impose costs on others she refuses to bear herself, exemplifying the perceived hypocrisy.
Explained simply
Miatta Fahnbulleh is a Labour MP who has supported charging VAT on private school fees. The policy means independent schools must add VAT to their fees, making private education more expensive for many families.
The debate is about whether private schools should pay tax on their fees and how that affects pupils and families. Fahnbulleh’s own children attend private schools, prompting questions about her stance; her husband works in finance.