Gary Lineker leads British millionaires calling to be taxed more

“We want you to tax us. We can afford it."

Lineker and film director Curtis, along with the likes of musician Brian Eno and economist Gary Stevenson, have put their name to an open letter to the new prime minister.

In the letter, titled ‘Proud to Pay’, the Patriotic Millionaires group urge Burnham to implement t a 2% tax on wealth over £10 million. They argue this could raise £24 billion a year for the UK while reforms to capital gains tax, including equalising it with income tax, could raise a further £12 billion.

Patriotic Millionaires have previously proposed eight other reforms and closed loopholes that they say would raise over £50bn for the Treasury in a single year.

The letter reads: “We want you to tax us. We can afford it. 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.”

It adds: “As you decentralise political power, you should also disperse economic power. Extreme wealth sitting idle in the hands of a few can be put to work: reducing inequality, investing in sustainable jobs, strengthening hospitals, schools and social care, supporting entrepreneurs with the skills and infrastructure they need, and giving small businesses access to affordable finance. Our wealth is our country’s secret weapon – let’s get serious about using it.”

Other names to have signed the letter include novelist Val McDermid and Ian Gregg, the former managing director of Greggs and son of the bakery chain’s founder.

Lineker said: “Our fantastic country deserves all of us to get behind it. I’m proud to stand with people across the UK who want to live in a more equal society. 

“Paying your fair share is a basic British value, but so many ordinary people are already paying more than they can afford. Our richest people can do more and most want to. To live up to our national values our new government must raise taxes on extreme levels of wealth for a fairer, better, more hopeful Britain.”

Julia Davies, member of Patriotic Millionaires UK, added: “This is a fresh opportunity for our country. A chance for the Prime Minister to help rebalance power, reduce the shocking levels of wealth inequality which intensifies the cost of living crisis, and raise much-needed revenue for our public services, improving life for everyone.

“We millionaires are here to be taxed more and we urge our new PM to grab this opportunity with both hands and tax our wealth.”

Polling carried out by Patriotic Millionaires has found that 80% of UK millionaires are in favour of a 2% tax on wealth over £10m.

Burnham has previously refused to rule out a form of wealth tax. However, in an interview with Lineker last week, the Makerfield MP said he would “properly look at the state of things” before considering a wealth tax.

The Green Party have become the main proponents for a wealth tax in British politics. For months, the party have called for a 1% tax on assets above £10m and 2% on assets above £1bn, a policy that polling last year found was widely supported by the British public.