Former footballer Gary Lineker and a group of over a hundred wealthy Britons have called on Manchester City Mayor Andy Burnham to introduce a wealth tax, saying they can afford it. The plea was made public through an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister, sparking debate over the feasibility of such a tax in the UK.
According to Money | The Guardian, the open letter, signed by more than 100 wealthy individuals—including Lineker—explicitly states, ‘We want you to tax us. We can afford it.’ The Guardian also reports that Nosheen Iqbal has spoken to columnist and senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty about the growing popularity of a wealth tax, raising questions about whether the government should act on the letter’s demands.
The call reflects a rising discussion among affluent Brits about the role of wealth taxation in financing public services, a debate that has become increasingly prominent in recent months.