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A group of wealthy Britons is calling for tax increases on the wealthy, claiming such measures could “lift children out of poverty” and make a significant contribution to rebuilding public services.
campaign group, patriot millionairebelieves Chancellor Rachel Reeves Up to £36 billion could be generated annually through reform of capital gains tax and the introduction of a new wealth tax.
The appeal comes ahead of Ms Reeves’ upcoming budget announcement at Westminster later this month.
Group member Phil White said: “It’s time for the richest – people like us – to pay their fair share, so we can help lift these children out of poverty and start rebuilding our public services and communities across the UK.”
Speaking as the patriotic millionaires embarked on a tour of major UK cities to deliver their message, Mr White said: “We all want to live in a society where everyone has a good chance at a good life – but that’s not the case at the moment.
“The gap between the super-rich and everyone else is growing day by day.
“In Scotland, almost one in five children live in poverty, while the country’s five richest families have a combined £19.3 billion – more than a quarter of the total wealth of the population.”
Over the coming week, the group’s custom “Tax the Super-Rich” bus will travel to a number of cities including Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London.
As the tour kicked off in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the patriotic millionaires said figures released under freedom of information showed at least 206 public facilities in Scotland have either been closed or handed over to community groups in the past five years.
This includes 53 community centers and 27 parks, the group says. Across Britain, one local public service or facility has closed every three days since 2020, including children’s centres, swimming pools, libraries and youth centres.
Speaking on behalf of fellow campaigners Tax Justice Scotland, Jamie Livingstone, head of Oxfam Scotland, said: “This data paints a deeply worrying picture that will be all too familiar to communities across Scotland.
“People are watching their local amenities collapse, with wider public services deteriorating. Yet they also know that the wealth of a privileged few is increasing across Britain.
“It’s encouraging to hear millionaires themselves say, ‘Enough is enough’ because they know our tax system isn’t exactly fair.”
Mr Livingstone said: “Taking better taxes on extreme wealth is not radical, it is responsible, it is long overdue and the UK Chancellor should step up and do it.”
A Treasury spokesperson said: “The Chancellor has set the context for the Budget, recognizing the global and long-term economic challenges.
“This will continue to build a strong foundation for securing Britain’s future and delivering on the priorities of the British people – cutting waiting lists, reducing the national debt and cutting the cost of living.”