A debate at Acland Burghley School, where campaigners said they wanted Sir Keir Starmer to commit to the axing of tax breaks for private schools 

• WHILE I have a little sympathy for those likely to be impacted by any increases in private school fees, it is limited largely by the pernicious and deeply unfair impact these schools and their pupils have on our society, (Debate hears calls to end tax help to private schools, May 4).

Former prime minister Boris Johnson is perhaps the most recent and appalling example. And this brings to mind the deep anger I felt when I moved here in the early 1980s and found that my ground rent went to Eton College! Come to think of it, that timing perhaps means I contributed a few quid to the his education. Apologies.

After arriving I realised many of the other streets such as Eton Road, Eton College Road etc owed their names to the school. They owned the whole of the Eton estates thanks to a deal done by Henry VIII, so they’ve been milking our system for quite a long time.

Fortunately in the late 1980s the whole lot was sold off, although that also pumped a few million pounds into the school’s coffers. So I think we should be taxing private schools appropriately.

The few of them that do anything vaguely charitable is largely symbolic, a “poor” pupil or two now and then (after rigorous interviews no doubt), a visit here, a talk there etc.

As far as I can see, all that private schools do is to create a nice pathway to wealth and power – via Oxbridge where their proportion of students is dozens of times that of those from state schools – to a few already privileged children.

I would happily tax them all out of existence and use that revenue to fund schools better so we can reduce class sizes and, of course, to pay state school teachers proper wages, something the Tories are determined not to do!

Earlier Labour governments have done nothing to even begin to level up this appalling unfairness. But will Sir Keir Starmer even dare address this issue? I am not holding my breath.

DAVID REED
Eton Avenue, NW3