It's time to actually tax the rich
The Scottish Greens have welcomed Patriotic Millionaires UK calls for Andy Burnham to tax extreme wealth, saying the party’s proposed taxes on the super-rich would give Scotland its own route to delivering the reforms.
More than 120 UK-based millionaires, including Gary Lineker, Gary Stevenson and Val McDermid, have written to the Prime Minister, calling for higher taxes on extreme wealth.
The intervention comes after the Labour leader suggested that a wealth tax was not currently on his agenda, claiming that he did not want to create new divisions.
Polling from Patriotic Millionaires UK shows that 80% of UK millionaires support a 2% tax on wealth over £10 million. There is also huge public backing for increasing taxes on the very richest, with 75% of people in support of a wealth tax.
The Scottish Greens have made taxing wealth rather than work a central priority. The party recently secured new taxes on mansions and private jets through negotiations with the Scottish Government. At May’s Scottish Parliament election, the Scottish Greens’ manifesto put forward a range of progressive tax policies, including replacing the Council Tax and ending lucrative tax breaks for big businesses.
Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer MSP said:
“When even millionaires are writing to the Prime Minister to say they should be paying more tax, Andy Burnham has no excuse for continuing to protect extreme wealth.
“People are constantly told that there is no money to tackle child poverty, rebuild public services or protect our planet. That is a lie designed to protect the extremely wealthy. The truth is that the money does exist, but it has been hoarded by a tiny elite with fortunes they could not spend in a thousand lifetimes.
“Patriotic Millionaires UK has made a great case for action across the UK. We all know that a UK Labour government is never going to accept these proposals, but the Scottish Greens have proven time and again that we don’t need to wait for Westminster. We can tax the super-rich fairly using the powers of the Scottish Parliament.
“Burnham claims that taxing wealthy elites would create division, but the real division is between working people being hammered by soaring rents, rising food bills and unpredictable energy costs; and a billionaire class that has rigged the economy in its own favour.
“Burnham promised a new kind of politics, but running scared of the super-rich is a repeat of what we’ve seen from Westminster governments for decades. He should stand on the side of working people, rather than protecting the greedy few who have poisoned our society and rigged our economy.”
Ross added:
“The Scottish Greens are clear that we must tax wealth, not work. We have already shown what can be achieved by pushing the Scottish Government to introduce taxes on private jets, mansions and second homes, and to end tax breaks for elite shooting estates.
“The tax powers devolved to Scotland are limited, but we certainly haven’t hit that limit yet. There is more we can do to make billionaires, property empires, polluters and greedy corporations pay their fair share. That money can then be invested back into the support our communities really need, like more staff in our schools and more social housing.”