A group of 120 millionaires, including former England footballer Gary Lineker and music producer Brian Eno, has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking him to raise their taxes. They say they can afford it and want a more equal society. The letter was organised by Patriotic Millionaires, a campaign group that supports a 2% wealth tax on assets over £10m. Other signatories include screenwriter Richard Curtis, crime writer Val McDermid, former financial trader Gary Stevenson, and Ian Gregg, son of the Greggs bakery founder. The group argues that higher taxes on the very richest, whose income comes from wealth rather than work, would fund investment in public services. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds welcomed the sentiment but pointed out that wealthy people can already donate money voluntarily to the Treasury via a government donation link. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch made a similar point, saying Lineker is "very welcome to pay more tax — he can write a cheque to the Treasury, no one is stopping him." Patriotic Millionaires claims its own polling shows that 80% of UK millionaires support a 2% wealth tax, which they say could raise £24bn a year. The campaign is not new: similar letters have been sent in previous years. But this one comes shortly after Burnham became prime minister and has reignited debate about whether the UK should introduce a wealth tax.
So why do millionaires want to pay more tax? The group's core argument is that extreme wealth inequality is bad for society and that the richest have a patriotic duty to contribute more. In their letter, they say: "We love this country and we want it to succeed. But success requires investment and a primary source of untouched capital investment is sitting with us, in untaxed potential." They specifically distinguish between income from work and income from wealth, arguing that taxes on the latter should rise. Patriotic Millionaires calls for a "devolution of wealth and power from the very richest" to reinvest in every region of the UK.
“Explains why 120 UK millionaires, including Gary Lineker, are asking the government to raise their taxes through a proposed wealth tax.”
The backdrop to this campaign is a longstanding debate about wealth inequality in Britain. While income tax rates are already progressive, wealth itself is largely untaxed beyond property taxes and inheritance tax (which affects only a small fraction of estates). Campaigners argue that this allows the gap between the richest and poorest to widen. The group points out that millionaires can already donate to the Treasury, but voluntary donations are rare and unpredictable. They want a systemic change instead.
For UK readers, this issue matters because it touches on how public services are funded and who pays for them. If a wealth tax were introduced, it would directly affect the super-wealthy — but the broader question is whether the government should rely on donations or mandatory taxes to reduce inequality. The debate also highlights the growing divide between those whose income comes from labour and those whose income comes from assets. For ordinary households, the cost of living crisis and squeezed public services make the idea of taxing the richest more appealing. However, critics argue that wealth taxes can be complex to administer and may drive the rich to move abroad.
Q: Can millionaires in the UK already pay more tax voluntarily? Yes. The Treasury operates a donation facility where individuals can give money or stocks. Chief Secretary Emma Reynolds and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch have both pointed to this option, suggesting that if wealthy people genuinely want to pay more, they can do so immediately.
Q: What is the proposed wealth tax rate and how much would it raise? Patriotic Millionaires supports a 2% annual tax on wealth over £10m. They claim this could raise around £24bn per year. The group says 80% of UK millionaires back the idea, according to their own polling.
Q: Who are the key signatories of the letter? The open letter was signed by 120 wealthy Britons, including former footballer Gary Lineker (reportedly worth £30m), music producer Brian Eno, screenwriter Richard Curtis, crime writer Val McDermid, former trader Gary Stevenson, and Ian Gregg, the former managing director of Greggs.
What happens next? Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not ruled out a wealth tax. Days before becoming PM, when asked by Lineker, he suggested he may have "to ask for a little more" tax at some point. However, any major tax changes would be announced in a Budget, as Emma Reynolds noted. The Patriotic Millionaires campaign is likely to continue pressing for a formal wealth tax, but for now the government has not committed to one. The debate is set to continue, especially as public spending pressures mount.