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Gordon Brown targets wealthy and warns of ‘hard tax choices’
Joe Murphy, Political Editor1 Sep 2009
Gordon Brown today refused to rule out further tax rises for the wealthy in the face of Britain's ballooning deficit.
Warning of “hard choices and difficult choices” in the years ahead, the Prime Minister said recent tax increases had succeeded in helping the country through the recession — and left the door open to more.
“Nobody wants to raise taxes but I think people want us to show … that we've got a sensible deficit reduction plan and one that is fair across the board to the population of the country,” he said.
A new top-rate tax of 50 per cent on those earning more than £150,000 is due from next April, part of measures targeting the wealthy to raise an additional £7 billion a year.
Mr Brown said it had been “a difficult decision”, along with tax rises on petrol and alcohol, but insisted that families on low and
middle incomes had been better protected.
In an interview with the Financial Times to mark the start of the new political season, he refused repeatedly, however, to say they would be enough to tackle a Budget gap predicted to reach £175 billion this year, with debt expected to burst over £1 trillion for the first time.
“Further decisions that we have to make are a matter for future Budgets and pre-Budget reports,” Mr Brown said.
He echoed Chancellor Alistair Darling by acknowledging some spending programmes would have to be cut and was “cautiously optimistic” about future growth.
Mr Brown also called for a “clawback” system for bankers' bonuses as part of international reforms of the financial sector.
Under his plan, bankers would not be allowed to cash-in bonuses for three years. They could be cancelled if the deals for which they were awarded turned sour.
“I think you've got to be absolutely clear that remuneration has got to be based on long-term
success, not short-term speculative deals,” said Mr Brown.
Reader views (54)
Stop raising more money by taxation until you have stopped wasting it.
Save money on inefficient government and wrongly given benefits to those that don't deserve them.
Support people who want to work by making it worth their while - not worth 50p more than their benefits.
Take a long hard listen to what the people who live in the UK want you to do and ditch your stupid "fairer society" mantra that noone believes.
Lastly, sod off back to Scotland smug in the knowledge that you've wrecked England.
- Mark Day, Vancouver, Canada, 01/09/2009 21:59
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I understand that mps are getting a huge increase in their salaries.Is this because they will have trouble screwing the expenses pot. As a pensioner I assume there will be no increase for us,the lowest paid pensioners in Europe.Lab,Lib and the cons are all slimy toads,pull up the ladder jack I am alright.This state of affairs cannot go on much longer,there will be only immigrants left in the U.K. soon.I cannot believe that twice disgraced mandleson is even allowed in Westminster.
- John, benidorm,spain, 01/09/2009 20:01
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When Blair said: "Trust me, I'm a nice guy, " we all knew he was economical with the truth. So who does Gordon, who will shortly be following in Tony's footsteps lecturing everyone, who will listen, on how he saved the world, think he is kidding!
I couldn't believe my ears when I heard this son of the manse, in a TV interview, say
that he was "always straightforward." The two worse prime ministers in history, are
both in denial.
- Kevin, London England, 01/09/2009 19:10
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I think that Gormless Brown, for once, needs to look at the other side of the equation, instead of putting up hard working peoples taxes, cut spending and benefits to match the tax revenue of the depleted economy.
If young single women/girls choose to have children without there own financial arrangements in place - well tough luck, go on the street and get out the begging bowl, I do not want to pay for their "BANG UP THE GARDEN WALL"!
That goes for all scroungers, immigrants, long term unemployed and millions of general skivers, ENGLAND has had enough.
If you don't like it, get up off idle bottom and get a job!
- George, Hempstead - Kent, 01/09/2009 18:46
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Keith, I don't know whether your blind faith in a failed ideology is something to be commended as staunch loyalty - or if it is simply pathological.
Every time I think to myself that I must hold my wannabe sharp repartee in check on reading the left-leaning apologist offerings of the 'usual suspects', if only to keep myself in perspective, they come out with something that is even more nonsensical than the time before. It usually takes the form of isolating a single comment out of context from others or focussing on misspellings/numbers not correct to the last decimal place/any one of a thousand similar opportunities to score nothing points. The very little substance they come out with almost exactly reflects the party and its representatives that they so blindly follow.
- Rogan, Irving, 01/09/2009 18:07
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The only people with the means to vacate the UK at will are the rich and taxing them too much will ensure they take that option. How Brown thinks this will help either the poor or the economy escapes me. Of course we know he has to raise taxes or cut services, but he needs to bear in mind that taxing the rich is not a one-way street to success and "fairness" is a very subjective matter where earned wealth is concerned.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 01/09/2009 18:04
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Her says he doesn't like raising taxes.
Excuse me, what has he been doing for the last 13 years, spending the surplus that there was, and a lot more and raising taxes, fuel, pension savings raids, insurance taxes, air fuel taxes, not raising of exemption limits in line with inflation, windfall taxes, taxes on telecommunications (selling to highest bidder and tel cos still paying the users still paying the premiums), gold sale, euro bond loss, quangos, endless useless reports at great expense.
No the man lives to tax anyone with two pennies to rub together and as usual lies about it as does his lackey, Keith Price.
- Hugh, Middx, 01/09/2009 17:45
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Posters, you will be able to recognise Keith Price, in public, he is the monkey wearing the red rosette.
- Dee Jay, Fleet Hampshire, 01/09/2009 17:43
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"taxing the 'rich' more is only an instrument of revenge and not one that will bring in more money. "
There speaks Mikkiduk - afraid beyond sense of the price he must pay for the recession that his wealthy banking class caused.
- Keith Price, Luton England, 01/09/2009 16:51
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Brown quote: “Nobody wants to raise taxes but I think people want us to show … " Hello? From the man who has destroyed personal wealth in this country. For God's sake, let us be rid of this incompetence.
- Matt, Ruthin, 01/09/2009 16:32
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More abysmally stupid thinking from NuLab and their useless leader. I've seen Labour try this three times before in my lifetime, and always with the same result. Apparently, Mr. Brown doesn't realise that 'Third time lucky' is just an expression, not a law of the universe.
Will the last person to leave please turn off the lights (if there are any left).
- Henrydz, London, 01/09/2009 15:39
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It won't be Broon's problem after the next election, though sadly we'll be a long way up the creek without a propulsion solution by then - call in the consultants, Gordon!
- Paul, London, 01/09/2009 15:23
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Why do the media persist in wasting their time interviewing this imbecile?,he's got nothing to say and no plan to improve Britain.
- Leggy Mountbatten, Canterbury Kent.., 01/09/2009 15:22
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Who are the wealthy these day? Labour MP's on expenses I guess so it is right that they are clobbered. It is not the poor who will get this country out of the mess Gordon got it into. Nor the six million unemployed. Nor the millions of illegals in the country. It is the people with brains and they will be long gone if you tax them too hard. The world is crying out for them.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 01/09/2009 15:13
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Keith please, I'm not a commie Price: "Third, your 74% fidure quoted is invented. Please quote facts not your own personal wishes."
Oops, I did make a minor error! 2005 election: Voter turnout 61%, Liebour share of the vote 37%. i.e 75% of those eligible to vote DID NOT vote for NuLiebour to impose punitive taxes on anybody!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 01/09/2009 15:10
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Bring back the army, we have urgent need of a military coup while there is still enough of a Country to save.
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset, 01/09/2009 14:42
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This is a very silly way to proceed. The rich will leave (and indeed many have already done so), companies will leave (and again many have done so). Entrepreneurs will have less incentive to set up new companies and employ people, and we will be less attractive to foreign investment. Labour tried this before and the result was a brain drain and it took Maggie to sort it out. Apart from the above, what really sticks in my gullet in the rank incompetence and hypocrisy we have seen from the public sector when it comes to spending our money. MPs and Peers and their expenses, incompetence when funding our armed forces, BBC salaries which Jay Hunt says we would not understand, Quango and local authorities pay scales for senior staff, retirement at 60 for the bulk of the public sector!!! GORDON PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER, before putting up our taxes.
Oh - Keith Price re the last election – if you go the BBC election web page, you will see that the turnout in 2005 was 61.3% of whom 35.3% voted Labour ( 3% swing in voters to the Tories), so I reckon that approx only 21% of the eligible electorate voted Labour - hardly a ringing endorsement .
Finally on Palace of Westminster expenses, why have we not seen any police arrests yet? One set of rules for us and one for them.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 01/09/2009 14:19
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Mrs Thatcher was foresighted when she described socialism as equal shares of misery all round. Only in this version Gordon has given the bankers and the MPs a nice cushion to help them bear the pain.
Today's tax rise on fuel will not just punish evil drivers, it will cause even more of our haulage industry to fail, upping transport costs, throwing breadwinners on the dole and upping prices in shops.
We're told it is to provide money for 'world class public services' - pull the other one - I can recall the 'zero percent growth' and various Labour cuts!
Read up a bit and you'll see that Alistair the Eyebrow has just committed £7Bn to the IMF to help 'emerging economies', and Britain is to pay an extra billion a year to subsidise our EU competitors.
Guess where the money is coming from?
- Jools, London, 01/09/2009 14:18
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Its about time we rebalanced the tax regime given the massive cuts Thatcher gave to the wealthy few and things dont change as Cameroons priority is guess what - Inheritence Tax cuts! No doubt for all his public school friends.
Yet he talks of cuts in basic services goes to show same old Tories "To him that hath shall be given - To him that have not will be taken".
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 01/09/2009 14:13
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"Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland-Just employ the expertise to close the tax loopholes being used by the really rich" You don't need expertise, just the will to enforce current egislation. There are cases of people living in England who claim to be non dom, and their friends high up in the tax office won't investigate. s
So it is not expertise, but ability to be fair to all and do the job we are paying for.
- Al, Kingstown UK, 01/09/2009 13:53
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Don't be fooled. You may like to think only the super rich will be taxed more, but at the end of the day it will mr and mrs average who will be paying to clear up gordons mess. Already we have seen 3 fuel duty rises in 9 months, this is just the beginning.
KP, I am afraid the figure of 74% (people who did not vote labour at the last election) is true, I checked the offical results.
- Chris, Rochester, 01/09/2009 13:53
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"We elected you to tax the rich far more, Mr Brown, so please get on with it".
Mr.Price if you would care to do some research I think you will find that nearly every increase in taxes since the end of World War II has resulted in lower tax receipts. Therefore taxing the 'rich' more is only an instrument of revenge and not one that will bring in more money. If your true motivation, and that of Gordon Brown, is to increase the tax receipts then a flat rate tax should be employed.
I believe when this was implemented in Russia tax receipts went up somewhere between 18 to 22%. A flat rate tax means there is no where to hide and a much reduced bill for tax collection. If this is set at say 22% for all people earning over £15,000 with no tax payable below, then all low paid workers benefit greatly.
We could see a reduction in the black market and illegal working, a reduction in government spending in this area, and a system which everyone could understand easily. The lawyers, tax consultants and tax evaders would not be happy but I think 99% of us would be.
Forgive me if my statistics are not 100% as I am repeating them from memory but I do not believe them to wide of the mark.
- Mikkiduk, Hackney, London, 01/09/2009 13:52
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Is it 'fair for hard workers to live within their means, whilst the workshy and single mothers are paid with their taxes to stay at home and have ever increasing numbers of children?
Of course it is not fair.
It is also not fair on these children, to be born into a world where they are destined to grow up in a culture of welfare dependence. Where their role models are usually poorly educated, lazy and totally lacking in ambition.
A Labour Government will always be the problem. They are incapable of delivering a solution.
I will vote for any party that will promise to slash the benefits of any family/single mother who irresponsibly have more than two children whilst living off benefits.
A party who will also promise to remove the privilege of those living under Sharia law. It is obscene that UK laws against polygamy are over-ruled. It is totally disgusting that wives in a privileged polygamous relationship are in receipt of benefits. Housed and funded to have children at the expense of the taxpayer. Enough is enough!
- Harry H, London UK, 01/09/2009 13:44
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About time this moron realised that the working class are taxed to the full and cannot afford to pay any more.Nail the rich,let them pay for a change,afterall,its the working mans sweat that generates their wealth.
- David, london, 01/09/2009 13:36
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I'm all for fair taxation, but fair taxation stops at 50%. After that I'm working for the State. I'm an entrepreneur, in the front line creating jobs and wealth for the economy. I risk my own money and if my business fails, I pay, NOT the State. Yet if I succeed, the State's benefit from my activities far outweigh my own, once business and personal taxation are added up.
And it's not like the poor even benefit. They're taxed so much they can't afford to live, so the State doles it back in the form of handouts. The idiocy of this isn't lost to anyone except those interested in creating a supplicant class and a culture of State dependency. Those who create are now told we should pay even more, leaving less reward and less to reinvest, and instead channelling those hard earned resources into the hands of those demonstrably least qualified to spend it wisely.
The national cake is only so big. Taking ever increasing chunks of it, whilst spending the proceeds so inefficiently, places a strain on our nation which it might not be capable of bearing. That situation will only be worsened if the most productive members of our society feel increasingly abused and, as a result, decide to do be productive in countries which welcome them rather than treat them with contempt. Long before the pips squeak, they tend to shoot out from between your fingers!
- Grahame P, Bristol, UK, 01/09/2009 13:31
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Ok. So after 12 years of a booming economy and yearly increases in tax and NI payments for every working person in the UK, it would not be unreasonable to assume that either the government had managed to set aside a bit of money or had spent this enormous income stream on something palpable and demonstrable like 500 new hospitals or 1000 new schools. No. What we have is Mr Brown throwing money down every drain he can, looting the pension pot and selling all our gold reserves. And now we have no money and no reserves of money (just like the banks) we are all expected to pay more out of OUR pockets to allow him to continue spending money without a care or regard for value of effectiveness. He mentions NOTHING about cuts he should be making:
1. Ditch the ID cards - a few billion saved
2. Remove all final salary pension schemes from the public sector
3. Half the number of MP's
4. Remove all non essential projects from funding
5. Employ people who know how to do the job - a mention this as because civil servants are so numerous and lack any focus, they have managed to mis manage almost all EU funding for regeneration in the past ten years! The EU has now fined the UK £23 billion to compensate. IDIOTS!!!
- Mr Opinion, london, 01/09/2009 13:19
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The quickest way to lose money is to tax the higher earners, all they'll do is to take their talents somewhere else..and who blames them?. Most people work to make money for themselves and their families not to give it to Brown the biggest joker this country has ever had
- Derek, Oliva (Valencia) Spain, 01/09/2009 12:46
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"Keith Commie Price, Luton: 74% of eligible voters did not elect NuLiebour to do anything!"
First I am hardly a communist as I haven't even voted Labour since 1997.
Second, taxing rich people is not a communist policy but a policy both of the Labour and Liberal/Democrat parties
Third, your 74% fidure quoted is invented. Please quote facts not your own personal wishes.
- Keith Price, Luton England, 01/09/2009 12:36
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This country is suffering daily and getting worse daily under Nu Liebour, after all the lies and spin, mandy is de factor PM doing blairs bidding. If our queen really cares for our country force an election now, it really is that serious with these morons running the country.
- Alan Davey, London UK, 01/09/2009 12:35
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Cut the welfare budget.
Over 100bn spent annually for the workshy to sit at home nursing a sore thumb.
In fact; cut the welfare budget for two years and we instantly get rid of our debt.
Stop taxiong the people who can be bothered to get out of bed; work for qualificatiosn and hold down a job.
This is regressive politics.
- Robin, London, 01/09/2009 12:34
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Nobby Clarke, Perth (Scotland: Of course we can't have a military coup, Crash Broon has made sure of that, our military are all off fighting illegal wars.
See, Crash has thought of everything!
- Mrs, London UK, 01/09/2009 12:25
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Lets start in the biggest money spend areas at local authority level - by
1) removing all of the politically correct jobs in local authorities,
2) stopping all local government final salary pensions
3) reducing any local authority chief executive salary to 20% below that of that paid without expenses as an MP basic rate.
4) all local authorities, 10% of staff reduction before the next election on statutory redundancy rates
5) abandon all local development projects that are not medical related - no more housing projects !
6) Abandon all camera usage and development that is not good enough to be used as evidence in a criminal court
- Jocaster, London, England, 01/09/2009 11:59
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Why should hard working and successful people have to pay for the inefficiencies of the Labour Party? When they have their own finances in order and stopped the incredible amount of waste then they can raise taxes and not before...
- Paul, Chatham, UK, 01/09/2009 11:58
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I would feel a lot happier if an example were set where all MP's and Lords half their pension claims, half their salary and use their own money to fund expenses - not feasible ?
Any representative that is not willing to meet these reasonable requests should step down right now and make way for the many who will take up their job
- Jack, London, England, 01/09/2009 11:50
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Only 9 more months to finish off the job of ruining Britain. And it sounds like he is well on the way.
Can't we have a military coup or something?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, the Scottish one, 01/09/2009 11:49
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Not a friend of the bankers (particularly Goodwin), but the only way to raise serious revenue is to tax the middle class - political suicide.
- Richard, Adelaide, Australia, 01/09/2009 11:44
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Keith Commie Price, Luton: 74% of eligible voters did not elect NuLiebour to do anything!
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 01/09/2009 11:17
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Absolutely no need to 'raise' taxes any further. -Just employ the expertise to close the tax loopholes being used by the really rich, and losing the exchequer billions!
- Huggy, Cumbernauld Scotland, 01/09/2009 11:15
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Gormless McClown, as Chancellor and (unelected)Prime Minister, has robbed billions from the British people and squandered the vast bulk of it on Soviet-Labour's pernicious social engineering project. Our economy is in the worst state in recorded history, even worse than it was when Comrade Callaghan had to go begging to the World bank in '76, the strongest pension system on the planet has been plundered to exhaustion and our childrens' future guaranteed to be dogged by monumental government debt.
But this is not enough for Robber Brown and his Britain-hating Politburo. This country is doomed to extinction as a sovereign nation if we do not have a general election soon, and rid ourselves of this band of lying, thieving traitors.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 01/09/2009 10:57
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How is the reimbursement of exaggerated MPs expense claims coming along? How about sorting out that little mess first instead of moving onto easy targets?
- Marianne, SW France/London, 01/09/2009 10:52
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Brown for god's sake go before this country is on its knees.
- Tonyjohnson, Hythe Kent, 01/09/2009 10:45
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Coming back into Britain, having worked abroad, I see Britain is back to 1979 again becoming the "Sickman of Europe". High unemployment, poverty and higher taxes. Mr. Brown has made Britain poorer since 1997.
- Andrew, London, 01/09/2009 10:45
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Charge Blair 99% on all earnings.
- Never Eat Tuna Again, London, 01/09/2009 10:43
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Brown for god's sake go before you have destroyed everthing.
- Tonyjohnson, Hythe Kent, 01/09/2009 10:42
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We elected you to tax the rich far more, Mr Brown, so please get on with it
- Keith Price, Luton England, 01/09/2009 10:27
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Brown should show a lead and start by cutting public sector pensions. These were designed for when most people were employed, not about to retire.
- Andy Davids, London, 01/09/2009 10:18
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good old communist Labour going back to their roots at last!! TAX THE RICH UNTIL THE PIPS SQUEAK. Last month my tax and NI were over £3k on a £6k salary - built up with loads of overtime and performance bonus, so over half my earnings gone before i saw them.......really motivational. I am hardly 'wealthy' and going back 4 or 5 years, the tax and NI 'take' were 33% tax and 4% NI - now its 40% tax and 12% NI - what a rip off. Who would have evr thought that Train Drivers, Teachers and other 'normal' professions would pay so much in Tax and NI?
- Gary, wycombe, 01/09/2009 10:14
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good old communist Labour going back to their roots at last!! TAX THE RICH UNTIL THE PIPS SQUEAK. Last month my tax and NI were over £3k on a £6k salary - built up with loads of overtime and performance bonus, so over half my earnings gone before i saw them.......really motivational. I am hardly 'wealthy' and going back 4 or 5 years, the tax and NI 'take' were 33% tax and 4% NI - now its 40% tax and 12% NI - what a rip off. Who would have evr thought that Train Drivers, Teachers and other 'normal' professions would pay so much in Tax and NI?
- Gary, wycombe, 01/09/2009 10:14
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A man that is in total denial and not fit for purpose and a delusional deputy that makes things up and plagiarises her self as she goes alone. We the once great British tax paying working poor need help from these communist thugs.
- Mike,, London, 01/09/2009 10:12
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The biggest waste of money in the UK is local government. Councils spend billions on hiring pen pushing jobsworths and outreach workers and paying them huge salaries and pensions, yet they can't find the money to do the few things that they are actually supposed to do, e.g. repair roads and collect rubbish. They should have their budgets cut by 50% and be forced to concentrate on the services people need or face takeover by the government.
- Mike, London UK, 01/09/2009 09:57
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Why don't they freeze the MP's salary increases, cut back on their expenses and then crack down on the public service pension schemes. I'm sure that will save a hell of a lot of money!
- Jk, London, 01/09/2009 09:48
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Brown is reactionary.... this is all so slow - typical dithering, this should have been sorted months ago - he'll comment on Lockerbie next March! Pathetic
- David, soton, 01/09/2009 08:38
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We don't believe a word you say. Gordon "Save The Word" Brown. Just shut up .
- Ruckus, Myrtle Beach USA, 01/09/2009 08:19
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Gormless Brown will not bite the hand that feeds him and all his parasitical cronies - this is just more abject spin and waffle.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 01/09/2009 07:27
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