Lib Dems call for uniform price cap to tackle ‘cost of learning crisis’

The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to implement a school uniform price cap, claiming costs are unsustainable for families across the country.

According to party research, a price cap on branded school uniform items could save families around £300m each year, claiming that such an initiative would “save up to 5 times what the Government says their own plans will achieve.”

Their proposed official plan consists of limiting the amount of money uniform suppliers can ask parents to shell out for costly branded uniform items.

They claim the current proposal by the government to limit the amount items required for school uniforms “misses the mark and will do little to address the serious pressure on the pockets of school families facing an enduring cost of living crisis after a decade of the Conservatives turning up their noses at the thought of fixing the financial problems faced by families up and down the country.”

Munira Wilson, the Lib Dem’s education, children and families spokesperson stated: “Labour’s policy is a halfway house, tying school heads’ hands while still leaving families subject to huge price hikes for fewer school clothes.”

Earlier this year Labour introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that aims to help families save money on school uniforms and introduced a free breakfast club for state primary schools in England.

One of their recommendations was to ban schools from requiring parents to buy more than three branded items as part of the school uniform. The government made clear in the bill that the items should be of low cost but good, long-lasting quality.

Previously, Wilson tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, changing the relevant section to instead read: “The appropriate authority of a relevant school may not require a pupil at the school to have to buy branded items of school uniform for use during a school year which cost more in total to purchase than a specified monetary amount, to be reviewed annually.”

The government claims these new measures to cap the amount of uniform required could collectively save families of primary school students a total of £21 million, while families of secondary school students could save £52 million.

The Lib Dem’s proposal is to have a “notional cap of £75 for branded items per primary school student, which could save families £98 million annually, while capping secondary school uniform costs at £120 could reduce costs by up to £238 million.”

Wilson said: “For years the Conservatives turned their noses up at the thought of fixing the extortionate bills laid at the doors of families as the cost of living rocketed up and up.” 

“The Government’s right to try and address this – but their current approach misses the mark. We need tangible urgent action to protect the pennies in people’s pockets. That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling for a price cap on uniforms, to properly tackle costs for families as prices continue to spiral across the country.”