The prolonged era of austerity economics has had a deep and lasting impact on public spending.

Tory government cuts have undermined vital public services, and we have become a more unequal society, with the poorest most disadvantaged.

Local authorities have been singled out for cuts and, inevitably, schools have had less money than they should have received.

At the same time, private schools that are out of reach to over 90% of the population have received generous tax breaks to help them function.

On account of their charitable status, private schools have benefited from huge discounts on their non-domestic rates bills.

In Glasgow alone, the fee-paying institutions were charged around £7.4m over six years, but received £5.7m off in mandatory relief.

It is an affront that this discount, which subsidises private schools, has been allowed to continue.

The Barclay review into the rates system, which recently reported, picked up on this by backing the removal of eligibility for charitable relief from all independent schools.

However, the SNP Government has not yet endorsed this sensible proposal, instead dodging the issue by saying that it will “engage further” on the recommendation.

This is not good enough. The SNP claims to be progressive, but it is dragging its heels on a policy that is a no-brainer for progressives.

We would like Ministers to go further. Rather than simply ending the NDR relief for private schools, the Government should legislate to remove charitable status for these fee-paying institutions. The time for timidity is over.