Kemi Badenoch told Gary Lineker to "write a cheque to the Treasury" after he called for higher taxes on wealth. The football pundit is among 120 UK-based millionaires urging Andy Burnham to impose higher taxes on them.
But the Tory leader insisted "no one's stopping" the football pundit, who was once the BBC's highest-paid star, from making a voluntary contribution.
Badenoch's response
Asked about his plea to pay more tax after a speech in London on Thursday, Mrs Badenoch said: “On Gary Lineker, he’s very welcome to pay more tax. He can write a cheque to the Treasury. No one’s stopping him.
“But right now, we are seeing the people who create jobs leaving the country.
“If we keep taxing the people who create the jobs, who generate the growth, we’re not going to have any taxes at all.”
She added that tax rises and “pennies here and there” do not increase our standard of living, and that the focus should be on “backing business so that they can create jobs and create growth”.
Millionaires' open letter
The millionaires called on the new PM to impose higher taxes on their wealth in an open letter organised by the Patriotic Millionaires UK campaign group. It argues that the money could be used to reduce inequality, support public infrastructure, and back small businesses.
The letter says: “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.”
Lineker added: “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. Our fantastic country deserves all of us to get behind it.”
Potential revenue and criticism
According to Patriotic Millionaires, a 2% tax on wealth over £10million could raise £24billion a year for the UK, while reforms to capital gains tax could raise a further £12billion. But critics warn that wealth taxes would drive entrepreneurs out of the country and damage growth.
