MPs HAVE voted to back the government’s plan to end the VAT exemption on private school fees in the face of opposition from the Tories, Liberal Democrats and, less predictably, most of the new Independent Alliance of MPs.

The vote, on a Tory motion to block the change, was 363 to 190.   Ministers have advanced the policy, one of the few held over from Jeremy Corbyn-era Labour, to raise funds to hire more teachers for state schools.

One of the Independent Alliance MPs, Iqbal Mohamed, argued that the increase would hit the six independent schools in his Dewsbury constituency, where there is already significant pressure on the state school system.

Labour critics claimed that the four independent MPs who voted against the change were motivated by religious concerns for faith schools that might be affected.

Mr Corbyn himself missed the vote due to a family engagement but he remains committed to ending the VAT exemption and it is understood that he will back the government when the actual legislation comes before the Commons.