VAT on private school fees, Steven van de Velde Olympics controversy, Concert pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen, Commuters with noisy
Woman's Hour
BBC
4.1 • 3K Ratings
🗓️ 31 July 2024
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Labour government has confirmed that it will act on its manifesto commitment to change the way private school fees are taxed across the UK. The current exemption from VAT will be removed, in order to fund 6,500 new teachers in England, and the change is coming in January next year, sooner than previously thought. Nuala McGovern gets the latest from the BBC’s Education Correspondent Elaine Dunkley, then speaks to Sarah, a parent whose son is at private school, and is also joined by Sarah Cunnane from the Independent Schools Council and Harry Quilter-Pinner from the IPPR to discuss.
The Dutch beach volleyball player Steven van de Velde has caused controversy at this year’s Paris Olympics. He is a convicted child rapist and was met with some booing when he came out for his debut match on Sunday. In 2014, when he was 19, he raped a 12-year-old British girl. He met his victim on Facebook and travelled from Amsterdam to the UK. His involvement has raised questions of whether it's appropriate for him to be representing his country at the highest level. Nuala is joined by Mhairi Maclennan, a survivor of sexual abuse herself who is also the CEO of Kyniska Advocacy, which supports women and victims of abuse in sport and Jo Easton, joint CEO and Director of Policy and Advocacy of the charity Unlock which campaigns for people with criminal records.
Concert pianist Mishka Rushdie Momen’s new album, Reformation, recreates Tudor music from this tumultuous time in English history. She talks to Nuala about the role that some women played in developing music – including the influence of Elizabeth I, musical nuns and risqué dances.
How do you feel about people on public transport playing content loudly on their phones? Do you sit through the noise or ask them to listen on headphones? Journalist Hannah Ewens recently did the latter and talks to Nuala about how it’s revolutionised her commute.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Maryam Maruf Studio Managers: Steve Greenwood and Emma Harth
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast I'd like to tell you about something else you might enjoy. |
| 0:05.0 | My name is Allison Hindle and I commission audio drama and fiction for the BBC. |
| 0:10.0 | It's a great privilege because I get to unearth stories people love. |
| 0:13.7 | You should see the books and scripts covering my floor, |
| 0:16.5 | from new talent and established writers as well as classics. |
| 0:19.8 | The BBC has such a rich history of making great audio drama, |
| 0:23.7 | we're still the largest producer in the world, |
| 0:26.0 | and the popularity of podcasts means we can share what we do with even more people. |
| 0:30.8 | So if you like to lose yourself in a gripping audio drama or book, find your next listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:37.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:43.4 | Hello, this is Nula McGovern and you're listening to the Woman's Hour podcast. |
| 0:47.6 | Hello and welcome to Woman's Hour. |
| 0:50.0 | Well, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has criticized what she claims is an obsession with private school pupils. |
| 0:56.0 | Labor has a plan to charge 20% VAT on private school fees. |
| 1:00.0 | We are going to delve into that debate on the changes in just a moment. |
| 1:04.8 | Also, should a convicted child rapist be able to represent their country at the Olympics? |
| 1:10.3 | This is a discussion ignited by Beach volleyball player Stephen Vandevelde, who is representing the Netherlands at Paris 2024. |
| 1:17.0 | We'll discuss and we have our grand piano ready for some Elizabethan music this hour in Studio A. |
| 1:25.0 | And what about this? Hannah Ewens has taken the bull by the horns. |
| 1:29.0 | She has a phrase that she is using with fellow passengers as she takes public transport. |
| 1:34.0 | The phrase is, do you mind listening to that with headphones? |
| 1:38.0 | Yes, she is asking those playing content loudly on their phone on public transport to be quiet. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

