Natasha Asghar MS, Is the Welsh Conservative Senedd member for South Wales East and shadow cabinet secretary for education.

When the UK Labour Government announced it was introducing a new policy to apply VAT (Value Added Tax) to private school fees, there was a mixed reaction from the public. The image of a privately educated pupil, with the expected leg up they get as a result, does not resonate with the general public. However, when you drill down into the ripple affects such a policy has on the education system as a whole and understand the sacrifices made by parents to ensure their children receive the best education possible, that stereotype begins to fade.

Now, when you look at all impacted schools, that stereotype fades even faster. Especially with charity-run independent schools, many of which provide education for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) that the state system struggles to support.

Private schools provide an essential service instead of stigmatising the pupils who attend and parents who pay for them. We must recognise that when everything is stripped back, we are dealing with parents who simply want the best for their children and pupils who want to succeed. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

I know this because my parents did the same for me. It may surprise people to read that I attended a private school, as I do not conform to a typical stereotypical image of a private school student. Yet, based on my experience along with calls and emails from constituents, I am more of a typical private school student than the stereotype many people have.

The majority of pupils at private schools are sent there by parents who sacrifice cars, holidays, house repairs - you name it they have put it aside to ensure the best for their children. Just like my parents did for me.

By increasing VAT, National Insurance and stripping the 80% business rate relief from independent schools with charitable status, Labour has hit these schools, parents and pupils with a triple whammy of tax burdens. These schools offer the best they can to those hardworking parents and their children. It is not right that Labour squeeze every penny out of them to the detriment of those pupils' education.

With many parents unable to afford these increased costs, they will be forced to remove their children from private schools and enrol them in state schools. This would put an undue burden on an already struggling education sector. In Wales, we currently sit bottom on every measurable metric when it comes to education. Schools cannot afford to have a sudden boom in student intake when they are already up against it. This move will do nothing but increase class sizes and squeeze already stretched resources.

Labour’s focus on private schools is a bias that will ultimately cost the taxpayer in the long run as it will increase the financial burden on public education substantially and add to the teacher recruitment crisis currently facing Wales.

Private schools support children who have been failed by the state system, including those with severe learning difficulties or mental health challenges. Closing these schools would leave these children without appropriate education options.

We cannot forget the economic impact of this short-sighted policy. Independent schools contribute significantly to the economy, with schools generating millions in GDP and supporting jobs and careers. The VAT revenue generated will be far less than the cost of accommodating these students in the state sector and by forcing schools to cut costs. Not only will this have an economic impact, but it risks the jobs of many people employed by private schools if more pupils are withdrawn.

There has been no detailed impact study on how this policy will affect Welsh students, families and schools, especially in terms of increased strain on the state education system.

When we discussed independent schools in the chamber a few weeks ago, the disdain for them radiated from the former First Minister Mark Drakeford, who went on a nonsensical rant about privilege, highlighting the clear contempt he and his government has for hard working people, who just want the best for their kids. His attitude astounded me considering the type of schooling both the First Minister Baroness Eluned Morgan and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer received.

We have seen broken promises, tax rises, energy bills soaring and farmers hung out to dry. Yet Welsh Labour are too cowed by the UK Labour Government. They refuse to stand up for hard-working people in Wales who are simply looking out for the best interests of their children.

After 26 years of a Welsh Labour Government, we have the worst educational outcomes anywhere in the UK, and this decision will only add to the significant pressures facing all of our schools. The ideological basis for the policy, which targets wealthy schools like Eton, does not reflect the reality of many Welsh independent schools, which serve middle-income families sacrificing to get the best for their children.