A group of 120 millionaires, including former England footballer Gary Lineker and music producer Brian Eno, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham demanding higher taxes on the super-rich. The letter, organised by Patriotic Millionaires, calls for a 2% wealth tax on assets over £10m, arguing that the very richest can afford to contribute more to society.
"We can afford it," the letter states. "We're not talking about higher taxes on those who get up and go to work for their income every day, but on the very richest whose income is derived from the wealth they hold." The signatories, which also include Notting Hill writer Richard Curtis, crime novelist Val McDermid, former trader Gary Stevenson, and Ian Gregg (former managing director of Greggs), argue that such a tax would lead to a more equal society and would "reinvest back into our greatest asset in every region".
“Gary Lineker and 119 other millionaires sign open letter asking PM Andy Burnham for a 2% wealth tax on assets over £10m.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the call, saying Lineker is "very welcome to pay more tax he can write a cheque to the Treasury, no one is stopping him." People can already voluntarily give money or stocks to the Treasury via a donation facility. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds welcomed the sentiment but said any major changes would be announced in a Budget.
Burnham, when asked about a wealth tax by Lineker days before becoming prime minister, did not rule it out, suggesting he may have "to ask for a little more" tax at some point. Lineker, formerly the BBC's highest-paid presenter with a salary of around £1.3m a year, is worth a reported £30m. In 2023, he won an appeal against HMRC over a £4.9m tax bill.
The renewed call echoes a similar campaign in previous years. Patriotic Millionaires' letter urges a "devolution of wealth and power from the very richest" and claims the majority of millionaires in their own poll support higher taxes on themselves.