Poll: Should Andy Burnham introduce a wealth tax on Britain’s richest people?
Gary Lineker joined more than 100 British millionaires calling on Andy Burnham to tax their wealth more, telling the new prime minister: “We can afford it.”
The group, organized by Patriotic Millionaires UK, includes screenwriter Richard Curtis, novelist Val McDermid and former City trader Gary Stevenson. Their letter states: “We want you to tax us. We can afford it. We are talking about higher taxes on the richest, whose income comes from the wealth they hold, not those who get up and go to work every day for their income.”
Mr Burnham has signaled he is open to the idea, telling Lineker earlier this month that his government “might want a little bit more”. The most proposed plan – a 2 per cent tax on the wealthiest households – could raise billions of dollars a year, campaigners say.
But not everyone is convinced. Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride accused the government of dodging key questions about how its spending commitments, including a bus fare cap and an £850 million energy bill tax cut, would actually be funded, warning: “You can’t have a government going in there and committing to a lot of spending without being able to fully explain how those commitments will be funded.”
So should Burnham tax the super-rich more, or is that a step too far? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comments.
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