More teachers for Wales if Starmer is PM - Gething
First Minister Vaughan Gething and launched Welsh Labour's manifesto in north Wales with Labour's Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves
- Published
More teachers will be recruited for state schools in Wales if Labour wins the UK general election, the first minister has promised.
Vaughan Gething said the move will be funded by Sir Keir Starmer's plans to add tax to private school fees if he becomes prime minister.
There are about 2,500 private schools in the UK, with fewer than a hundred in Wales.
Welsh Labour launched its general election manifesto in north Wales on Friday.
- Published19 June
- Published18 June
- Published17 June
Education is devolved, meaning the Welsh government is responsible for policy and spending decisions on schools in Wales.
Currently, private schools do not have to charge value added tax (VAT) on their fees because of a legal exemption for organisations providing education.
The UK Labour Party manifesto pledges to end private schools' VAT exemption.
Ministers in London decide VAT policy.
The first minister did not put a number on how many extra teachers would be recruited,
But said that his government would “need to see the detail” once funds are raised and then “go through a proper recruitment phase” to understand where to place them.
Welsh Labour have unveiled that more teachers will be recruited for state schools in Wales if Labour wins the UK general election
Speaking at the launch of Welsh Labour’s manifesto in Wrexham, Mr Gething told the BBC: "If you go into any Welsh primary school or secondary school they could talk about what they've been able to do but also what more they could do if we could fund more staff. "
He added: "Ending the tax breaks for private schools will allow some extra investment. More than that though, growing the economy over the next term if we have a UK Labour government should provide us more resources to support public services and of course the future of the economy. "
Asked if his party was offering enough money for public spending given recent calls for more investment from the Welsh government, Mr Gething said: "We all know that the country's in a desperate position with the state of public finances.
"I've seen how hard our budgets have got with Tory cuts over the last 14 years. There needs to be honesty with the public about the time it will take.
"Despite that we do know there will be some immediate investment in public services."
Welsh Labour's leader also unveiled plans for a new scheme to get businesses and unions to work together to improve employment rights.
Mr Gething says the Fair Work Fund – Gwaith Teg in Welsh – will pay for projects to tackle unfair practice and bullying in the workplace.
It will be financed through the replacement for the money which used to come to Wales from the European Union and be distributed by the Welsh government.
The first minister said the policy will be "a priority" if Labour wins the general election.
The scheme will "supplement" Sir Keir’s Starmer's "New Deal for Working People" plan and "create good fair work for all".
Welsh Labour said unions and businesses "will be invited" to work with the Labour Welsh government to design the fund.
Sir Keir has faced criticism from the Unite union, which says he has watered down his workers’ rights offer in a "New Deal for Working People".
In his plan, he pledges to end fire and re-hire, a practice where businesses dismiss workers and then hire them back on worse deals.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said the deal "had more holes in it that Swiss cheese", however, Sir Keir said it was "the biggest levelling up of working peoples' rights for a generation".
Additional reporting by Shelley Phelps.