Treat SEND as “essential infrastructure” to stop offshore investors profiting from vulnerable children.

Lib Dems Demand End to "Rigged Racket" as Private Equity Profits from SEND Soar

​The Liberal Democrats have unveiled a radical plan to reclassify Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as “essential national infrastructure,” aiming to block offshore investors from treating vulnerable children as “cash cows.”

​The proposal, released ahead of the government’s upcoming SEND White Paper, seeks to grant the sector the same protected status as energy, water, and transport networks. By doing so, the party intends to trigger strict public interest tests under the Enterprise Act, giving the government the power to intervene in mergers or acquisitions that threaten the quality of children's education.

​The Rise of the "Cash Cow" Model
​Over the last decade, the SEND landscape has shifted dramatically. Liberal Democrat-commissioned FOI data reveals that local authority spending on private SEND provision has surged tenfold in some areas since 2015.
​Large foreign investment funds have aggressively entered the market. The party highlighted two prominent examples of the trend:
​Witherslack Group: Owned by a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, it recorded an operating profit of £44.6 million between August 2024 and August 2025—a profit margin exceeding 20%.
​Aspris Limited: Owned by Waterland Private Equity, the firm reported £22.9 million in profit for the year ending August 2024.

​Critics argue that this influx of private capital prioritises investor returns over educational outcomes, leading to a lack of transparency and a drain on public finances.

​A Call for Oversight
​The Liberal Democrats argue that the current lack of regulation allows public money to be diverted into offshore profits rather than being reinvested into local classrooms. Under their proposed "Essential National Infrastructure" status, the Secretary of State would gain the authority to scrutinize and potentially block deals that prioritize profit over the public interest.

​“It is a scandal that our most vulnerable children are being treated like cash cows by offshore investors,” “SEND provision deserves to be treated as essential national infrastructure, to ensure our children’s education is prioritised and prevent public money being funneled away to offshore companies.” Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP.

​Wilson added that the current system "fails to prioritise the very children it is designed to help, all while private SEND providers rake in record profits and squeeze council coffers dry.”

​Personal Stakes for Leadership
​For Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP, the issue is not just political, but personal. 

​“I know what it’s like to have to navigate the bureaucratic quagmire of the SEND system all too well. No parent wants to see their child’s education suffer while private equity firms cash in on a broken system.”

“Liberal Democrats would introduce new protections to ensure taxpayers’ money is spent on frontline services for children, not lining the pockets of offshore investors. We cannot allow this rigged racket to drag on any longer. Our children and parents deserve better.” Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Liberal Democrats Demand Withdrawal of "Unworkable" EHRC Equalities Code.

Image
The Liberal Democrats have launched a major political challenge against the Government's newly updated equality guidelines, declaring them "not fit for purpose" and warning that the framework severely compromises the safety and dignity of both transgender individuals and cisgender women. ​Following the formal publication of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) draft updated Code of Practice, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP and the party’s Women and Equalities Spokesperson, Marie Goldman MP, have escalated their opposition. On 30th May 2026, the two issued a joint letter directly to Bridget Phillipson MP, the Minister for Women and Equalities, urging an immediate halt to the guidance. ​" The Liberal Democrats will oppose this guidance."  Marie Goldman MP  ​A Crisis of Clarity for Businesses and Communities ​The newly laid statutory instrument was intended to serve as a comprehensive update to the 2011 handbook, incorpor...
Read more

A Tale of Two Cities: Portsmouth starts 845 homes, while Southampton starts 10.

Image
While these neighbouring cities share a coastline, their approaches to the housing crisis appear to be drifting miles apart. New data highlights a stark contrast in residential development between Liberal Democrat led Portsmouth and Labour run Southampton, with one city surging ahead while the other stalls  ​Portsmouth: A Hub of Growth ​Portsmouth has recently been ranked tenth in the UK for the fastest growth in newly built homes. According to research from Bluefield Realty Group, the city has seen a 55.56% increase in completed homes over the last five years. The momentum is not slowing down; in 2025 alone, work began on 845 new houses, showcasing a proactive approach to urban density and development, whilst ensuring affordability for local people.  ​This growth aligns with the Liberal Democrats' national policy to address the housing crisis by empowering local authorities to build. The party has committed to a national target of 380,000 new homes per year, including 150,000...
Read more

Conservative Chaos in Worcestershire: Badenoch Cracks Down as Broad Alliance Ousts Reform

Image
​In a move that highlights the growing fractures within the Conservative Party, CCHQ has suspended its local leader in Worcestershire after he joined a "rainbow coalition" designed to restore stability to a county mired in Reform UK-led dysfunction. ​The dramatic intervention by Conservative Chairman Kevin Hollinrake, acting under the direction of Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, came just hours after Cllr Adam Kent helped orchestrate a cross-party alliance to remove Reform UK from power. ​A United Front Against Reform Instability ​Worcestershire County Council has been governed by a minority Reform administration since last May, a period defined by what critics describe as "appalling instability." The chaos reached a breaking point last month when Reform ousted its own leader, Jo Monk, replacing her with former Conservative MP Alan Amos. ​Faced with the prospect of another year of Reform-led drama, an unprecedented alliance of Liberal Democrats, ...
Read more