King’s speech: Tax the super-wealthy to boost people and planet
The King’s speech must live up to the urgency of the moment we are in and deliver bold change for people and planet, says Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s speech, which will lay out the UK government’s agenda for the year ahead, Ms Slater called for a wealth tax on the highest earners to tackle child poverty and deliver a green new deal to transform our economy and boost climate action.
Analysis from the University of Greenwich shows that a progressive wealth tax on the richest 1% of households could raise over £70 billion a year for public services like the NHS.
Ms Slater said: “Keir Starmer will rarely be in as powerful a position as he is now. He must seize the opportunity and take the kind of bold and historic action that will finally end the shocking levels of poverty all around us and begin to tackle the climate crisis.
“By asking the very wealthiest people to pay a bit more he could transform our economy and the lives of so many children and families who have paid the price for 14 years of Tory rule, and could end the cruel child benefit cap and bedroom tax many times over.
“The UK is one of the richest societies there has ever been at any time in history. There is no need for any child to go to bed cold or hungry, yet millions are every single day. It is a moral disgrace and a legacy of decades of failure.”
Ms Slater added: “On the face of it, the King’s speech is a ridiculous and garish celebration of extreme wealth and inequality. Yet, behind all of the pomp and pageantry the policies that are announced will have an impact for years to come.
“This is a really urgent time for our country and our climate. It is a time for bold action and change. People deserve so much better than the last 14 years have offered, but that can’t happen without a fundamental change in our politics and our economy.”