100+ UK Millionaires Ask Government to Tax Them More

More than 100 millionaires in Britain just sent an unusual message to their government: please tax us more.

Gary Lineker, screenwriter Richard Curtis, novelist Val McDermid, and over 100 other wealthy Britons signed a letter urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to increase taxes on their wealth. The group says they can afford it and want to contribute more to their country's future.

"We want you to tax us. We can afford it," reads the letter organized by Patriotic Millionaires UK. The signatories make clear they're not talking about higher taxes on everyday workers, but on the wealthiest people whose income comes from assets they already own.

Lineker put it simply: "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."

The proposal suggests a 2 percent tax on wealth over £10 million, which could raise £24 billion annually for public services. Additional reforms to capital gains tax could bring in another £12 billion each year.

The Ripple Effect

This grassroots movement from Britain's wealthy shows how attitudes about shared responsibility are shifting. The letter calls millionaires a "patriotic bunch" who love their country and want it to succeed.

Prime Minister Burnham has already signaled openness to tax reform. He told Lineker earlier this month that his government may need to "ask for a little more" from the wealthy to fund policy priorities like capping bus fares at £2 and cutting electricity bills.

Julia Davies from Patriotic Millionaires UK sees this as a fresh opportunity. "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," she explained.

Academics supporting the plan say a 2 percent charge on households with over £100 million in assets would affect fewer than 1,000 of Britain's wealthiest families while raising £10 billion yearly. Economists describe it as a way to "raise meaningful revenues and dampen runaway inequality."

When wealthy people voluntarily ask to contribute more, it shows that building a stronger society matters more than protecting personal fortunes.