120 well-off Britons, writing as patriotic millionaires, have asked Andy Burnham to tax the very richest more. The letter, signed by Gary Lineker and Brian Eno, says the group can afford higher taxes and wants the burden kept off people who earn through work.
Gary Lineker and Brian Eno sign
120 signatories backed a call for a 2% tax on wealth over £10m, a line that moves beyond charity-style giving and into a set-rate levy on accumulated assets. The group said it was 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.
120 wealthy Britons also framed the appeal as a shift in who carries the load. They said millionaires are a patriotic bunch, that they love this country and want it to succeed, and that success requires investment and a primary source of untouched capital investment is sitting with them in untaxed potential.
Patriotic Millionaires and Treasury
Patriotic Millionaires organized the letter, adding public pressure for a wealth tax by putting high earners’ own names behind the demand. Richard Curtis and Ian Gregg were among the other signatories, widening the list beyond entertainers and into business and creative circles.
Kemi Badenoch replied that Gary Lineker is very welcome to pay more tax and can write a cheque to the Treasury, no one is stopping him. That answer draws a line between voluntary payment and a broader rule change, which is the real issue in the letter: whether the very richest should be asked to pay more because of a policy shift rather than personal choice.
Burnham and a wealth tax
A few days before he became prime minister, Burnham did not rule out a wealth tax when asked about it by Gary Lineker, and he suggested he may have to ask for a little more tax at some point. The letter now turns that possibility into a public test of intent, with the signatories urging a devolution of wealth and power from the very richest in order to reinvest back into our greatest asset in every region.
Whether Burnham turns that into a wealth tax, or stops at a broader appeal for higher contributions, is the unresolved part of the story. For readers trying to track where this goes next, the pressure is now public, named and already signed by 120 wealthy Britons.
