Peckham MP Miatta Fahnbulleh who soared into Labour Cabinet defends sending her children to private school

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has defended sending her children to private school despite backing removing the VAT exemption on fees for the independent sector.

The Peckham MP stressed that the VAT move was the “right policy” for a Government as it struggles to balance the books.

Ms Fahnbulleh, who soared into the Cabinet just two years after becoming an MP , also said that sending children to private school does not preclude people from “being part of the Labour team or the Labour family”.

Miatta Fahnbulleh who was appointed Net Zero Secretary in Andy Burnham’s government PA Wire However, private schools remain a deeply controversial issue within the Labour Party which has been accused by the Conservatives of “class war” by ending their exemption from VAT.

Other Labour MPs including Diane Abbott have faced criticism for sending their children to schools in the independent sector.

Ms Fahnbulleh stressed that she had “purposefully not brought my kids into politics”.

But after reports that she had sent her three children to private school, she told the Newsagents podcast: “If the question you're asking me is do I believe that parents should have a choice to send their kids to independent school? I do.”

She added: “'Parents can do that for a whole host of reasons. Because it's a good school, because their kids have special educational needs, because they want schools that are geared towards sports or arts. That is OK.

'I don't think that precludes me or anyone else who holds that belief from being part of the Labour team or the Labour family.”

Miatta Fahnbulleh with then PM Sir Keir Starmer in a last push to woo voters in Southwark ahead of the May 2026 local elections Getty Ms Fahnbulleh, whose husband is believed to be a City trader and hedge-fund founder, is the former chief executive of Left-leaning think tank the New Economics Foundation.

On improving state schools, she emphasised: “The job for me is really clear.

“We've got to get to a system where our state education system is serving all of our children.”

But she described the debate around VAT exemption for private schools as “really bizarre”.

She added: “Of course the Government is not going to cross subsidise parents sending their children to independent schools.”