Ms Carter'I seem to recall his strong objections to the unfair advantages bestowed by private schools -something to do with Putney High School’s then new boathouse and his granddaughter'.I am flattered that like Mr Brigo you also find my posts so fascinating that you spend time trawling back through the years to read them and remind others of them.But you are perfectly correct in pointing out what was my position at the time.Why have I changed my views ?I repeat what John Maynard Keynes said.""When my information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?" (or madam).And this new information arises because as I grow older I have become more conservative in my social beliefs and more liberal in my belief in freedom to express them.And more liberal in my economic thinking.I am only embarrassed that such a change of attitudes and beliefs did not happen at the once customary time, usually around ten years after leaving university, when the harsh realities of life hit up against often childish thoughts proposed in the JCR !Thus against the current leftist DEI zeitgeist, I feel those that can and want, on top of paying taxes to fund state education for everyone else, to pay to send their children to the fee charging school of their choice should have the freedom to do so.They have a right to spend their money, legally earned and taxed, as they wish.Just as do those that spend hundreds of pounds on flash trainers and Benidorm holidays - providing they are funding them through earned income and not Universal Credit or any other benefit claimed because 'mental health issues' and similar prevent them from working.Still we will all be evened up or down soon for I read (yes, in MailOnline) that the Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson (who as Education Secretary plans to introduce VAT on private school fees) has produced a consultation document prefigured in Labour’s manifesto.Now she wants to extend equality laws covering race, age, gender, disability and sexuality to include ‘the inequality of social class’. It will enable public bodies to penalise middle class areas by diverting funds and opportunities to those deemed less privileged.This raises the prospect of Labour councils favouring deprived areas over better-off ones – and being legally entitled to do so. For example, there might be fewer bin collections and larger council tax rises in wealthier localities.Oh dear.Will this go down well with the bourgeoisie in leafy West Putney Ms Carter ?
John Hawkes ● 37d