Quote Originally Posted by Watchman
What I've never quite understood is where this idea that "the Left" was inherently against things like private education (provided there is a decent public education system as well of course) originates from in the first place...
In the UK, Labour politicians get flak even if they send their children to a state school that is not the nearest one to their home. I am not sure any dare send them to private schools (I think there was one recent case where the child had special needs). The fear is of criticism partly from their own (the left) and partly from the media (the right) charging them with hypocrisy. But it is true, you'd have to look hard to find a Labour Party manifesto that advocated banning private schools (removing charitable status is probably the furthest that has been seriously advocated).

Quite a few Labour politicians are products of private schools though - notably Tony Blair - which is one reason I am sceptical of the argument that private schooling is socially divisive; it has not stopped them identifying with and relating to the wider public.