Now this is the sort of thing we should be seeing a little more of. Dale Vince, the multi-millionaire green entrepreneur, is now campaigning to introduce a wealth tax to the United Kingdom – a move which would see him also pay more to the state.
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Dale Vince ready to put his money where his mouth is
The Ecotricity founder has proposed a 2% tax on all assets worth £10 million or more, affecting a tiny percentage of the British public. He received a round of applause during his Question Time appearance, after identifying glaring issues with the system.
“If we had a modest tax on wealth, just 2% on any wealth over £10 million, it would affect just 20,000 people, while raising over £24 billion each year. The people with the most money in our country pay the least tax, it’s right that they pay more.” | Dale Vince
Should millionaires be made to pay more tax?
Vince is certainly leading from the front on this crusade. He and hundreds of other millionaires have lobbied the World Economic Forum this week, in a bid to implement wealth taxes on millionaires across the world.
These lofty ambitions were outlined by the climate campaigner in The Guardian on Thursday. Dale Vince also argues that political donors should stop expecting influence in return for investment – again, practicing what he preaches.
“I have joined more than 370 millionaires from 22 countries in signing a letter calling on our political leaders to tackle the cost of extreme wealth by taxing the super-rich – people like me.”
“We need to keep the influence of private and corporate money from donors out of politics – and I say that as a political donor. Contradictory, you might think, or counterintuitive. Well, I’m also a millionaire who wants millionaires to pay more tax.” | Dale Vince
The Dale Vince brand of backing your country…
Perhaps Vince’s biggest motivator for supporting a wealth tax that would hit him personally is patriotism. He has lashed out at the populists on both sides of the pond for scoring ‘cheap points’ with their rhetoric – teaching them a lesson or two in the process:
“Being patriotic isn’t about wearing a MAGA hat, or driving round in a union jack-emblazoned bus, or slagging off immigration for cheap political points. It’s about wanting your country and all the people in it to succeed through healthy investment.” | Dale Vince