GB News host Bev Turner has sparked a fiery row with political commentator Matthew Stadlen over Keir Starmer's plans for schools.
Under a Labour government, Keir Starmer has pledged to charge private schools 20 per cent VAT, as well as end business rate relief.
When grilled on the move by a member of the public at the Sky News leadership event on Wednesday, Starmer affirmed he has "nothing against private schools" and "absolutely recognises" that "many parents work hard and save hard to send their children to private schools".
Discussing the latest on Labour's "wealth creation" plans, Stadlen said the party should be focussing on "state education" and making public schools "the best in the world".
Matthew Stadlen and Bev Turner clashed in a heated debate over Labour's plans for schools
GB News
Britain's Newsroom host Andrew Pierce highlighted that the new plans will mean "bigger class sizes" and up to "40,000 more children" will be entering state schools as a result.
When pressed by Andrew on the issue of bigger class sizes, Stadlen admitted he "feels for those who will be pulled out of private schools", but argued that Labour "wants to move towards a society where the super rich send their children to private schools".
Bev Turner hit back at Stadlen and argued that is "exactly what will happen" and "only the super rich" will be sending children to private school.
When Stadlen affirmed that it is a "great thing", Bev fumed: "That's a terrible thing. Only the super rich will be able to afford private school, the billionaires! A lot of them living here will be the Chinese, the Russian, the Arabs.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to charge private schools 20 per cent VAT, as well as end business rate relief
PA
"It won't be the hard working British people, they won't be able to afford private school."
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Stadlen responded to Bev and reaffirmed his argument that the move will "benefit" hard working Britons: "The hard working Brits will be sending their children to the schools that 93 per cent of hard working British people already send their children to."
Bev interjected Stadlen, raging: "You're punishing them by taking away that choice!"
Stadlen hit back: "It's not about punishing them, it's about levelling the playing field for children. That's not fair on children."
Bev then told Stadlen: "If you want to close all private schools, switch off that tap - and in an ideal world I would too, we would all have amazing state schools with sports fields and great food and committed teachers, and all children would be given the same start in life. We don't live in that utopian ideal."
Bev Turner said in an ideal world 'all private schools would be closed'
GB News
Commentator Sam Lister highlighted that "many on the Labour front bench benefitted from private education" and are now "pulling the ladder up" for other people.
Andrew agreed, and revealed: "When I speak to Labour people about this, they devil up a rictus grin when they talk about this policy, because it reeks of class war envy."
Stadlen slammed Andrew's remark, branding it "absolute rubbish".
Lister then concluded: "The problem with Labour, the bottom line with all of this is Labour has banged on about how everything in Britain is broken, but what they are saying is we haven't got any solutions. We're not going to put up taxes, we're not going to tell you our plans."