This is John Batchel, a conversation with my colleague, Simon Constable, who writes for the Wall Street Journal and other distinguished publications. He's in France, talking about back home in England.

Kirstarmer, the new prime minister, and Rachel Reeves, the new chancellor of the exchequer, that's treasurer, have imposed a tax on people who send their children to a

private school, what is called the public school in Britain. These are fee-paying schools of 20%. Many

can't afford it. They were scratching to get by so far. And so their children now go to a state school.

And Simon tells one episode among many of how

removing the ability to go to the local independent school means more cost more exasperation

and a child who is stuck for up to an hour in a car one way.

Here's Simon to tell the story.

The genius of labor to discomfort everybody to punish the posh, question mark.

Certainly not making more money on it.

More of this tonight.

Yes, this is absolutely fascinating and horrific at the same time.

So as of the beginning of this year, 2025, an extra 20% VAT, which is value-added tax,

is added to the bill to send your child to a fee-paying school,

which would be independent of government schooling.

Now, one of the things that we found is that that's been too much for some people.

It's a very good example by a story in the Daily Telegraph, and it's just been done absolutely excellent leap.

So a young lady, 13 years old, had her education upended last term after Labor's 20% tax

increased her fees by 3,270 pounds a year.

Now, that's something like $4,500 more year. Now, so she can't afford that

anymore because her parents can't afford it, even though they've been working double time

and her mother's a nurse practitioner, which has been working

...