Downing Street’s new Director of Political Strategy is a pro-Wealth Tax campaigner. Buckle up…
Matthew McGregor, formerly a director at Hope Not Hate, has strong views on raising tax. He was Chief Executive of the leftist campaigning organisation 38 Degrees. Less than two years ago he was campaigning for the imposition of a 2% annual tax on the assets held by those worth more than £10 million. It was argued “the cash could help recruit 135,000 more NHS staff. McGregor said: “A tax on the ultra-rich will deliver.” The basket case tax proposal is a complete disaster abandoned by almost every country which has tried it…
He also backed Gordon Brown’s proposals for massive new levies on gambling, saying: “Tax the massive profits of the gambling firms to stop rising child poverty.” He additionally campaigned for more taxation of “eye-watering profits energy firms are making”…
McGregor said before the Budget last year: “If taxes do rise, they should obviously fall very disproportionately on the ultra rich, the big banks, gambling firms, fossil fuel firms. Those who have it toughest should obviously be protected. But opposing all tax rises means brutal austerity.” There are your new targets…
Burnham’s new appointment has also said “the fiscal rules are too tight, the manifesto was too cautious. In the longterm, investment in jobs, education & training to solve sort productivity are the routes to prosperity.” Doesn’t bode well for said fiscal rules…
He said the manifesto has ample room to increase taxes on the wealthy: “Higher taxes on the wealthy, especially via closing loopholes, is very popular in itself. Using the money to fund public services even more so. Labour made an election promise to ensure ‘those with the broadest shoulders’ paid their fair share and won a mandate to do so.” He said in 2022: “45p tax cut for the rich was bad.” Don’t be surprised when Burnham’s piecemeal cocktail of tax rises pours sand into the gears of the British economy…
UPDATE: His X account has now been deleted.
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”