New poll: most Britons want higher taxes


by Newswire    
9:31 am - January 30th 2012

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Most Britons would support a Mansion Tax on wealthy estates – a poll by YouGov found yesterday.

When asked: “Would you support or oppose a new tax upon people with houses worth more than £2 million?” – the question was supported by 66% of respondents, including a majority of Tories.

19% opposed such a tax and 15% chose “Don’t know”.

What about cheaper Mansions?

Asked if they’d support a Mansion Tax on houses worth more than £1 million, 50% still said they would support such a tax.

The lower figure was opposed by 35%, while 15% said they didn’t know.

Respondents were also asked: More generally, do you think the taxes on the wealthiest people in the UK should be increased, should be decreased, or kept at their current levels?

An eye-popping 62% of respondents, including 50% of Conservatives, said taxes on the wealthiest should be increased.

Only 5% said taxes should be decreased, and 26% said current levels were fine. 7% were unsure.

The poll suggests the public would respond favourably if Ed Miliband called on the government to plug the deficit with a Mansion Tax instead targeting the disabled.

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Reader comments


1. Andreas Moser

“Most Britons want higher taxes ON OTHER PEOPLE” should be the headline.

Of course they do. Most Britons probably also want lower benefit payments for others. A less generous immigration system towards others. Maybe less NHS for others.

2. Phil B

@1 – same goes for benefit cuts to disabled people. Most people don’t care because it doesn’t affect them.

3. Chaise Guevara

Andreas is right. To paraphrase Robert Webb (because I can’t be bothered to find the original):

“Surveys show overwhelming support for 90% tax on people who earn more than me, although the exact definition of “me” has been difficult to determine.”

This is still all good news, in that it shows that higher taxes on the wealthy would be democratically popular, but it’s hardly got the implications you’d expect from the headline.

4. K

What a misleading headline!

According to that survey 47% of people (including 54% of Labour voters) want to “cut taxes more to encourage growth”

…and 83% would support increasing the personal tax allowance, so that people do not pay tax on the first £10,000 of their earnings.

So comment #1 by Andrew Moser was correct: Most Britons want higher taxes ON OTHER PEOPLE

5. K

oops! Apologies: Comment should read Andreas Moser, not Andrew!

6. Phil B

“Surveys show overwhelming support for 90% tax on people who earn more than me, although the exact definition of “me” has been difficult to determine.”

Not always true – support for higher taxes on richest is lower in other countries such as USA… and historically was even lower earlier

7. Chaise Guevara

@ 6 Phil

Well, it partly has to do with whether people think it likely that they will one day be high earners themselves (and the US has that American Dream thing going on). Although that’s not to say that everyone is a self-obsessed bastard who only cares about their own interests: you have affluent socialists who vote to increase their own taxes to help the poor, and poor libertarians who believe it’s wrong for them to benefit from heavy taxes on the sweat of a wealthier person’s brow.

8. Other Ed

So a large chunk of the population want to increase the personal allowance and fund it through a mansion or other wealth tax… If only there was a party which had included both of these in its manifesto.

9. Steve

Yes but the wealthy can afford the extra tax and they probably wouldn’t even notice the difference. Vast amount of money held by the few is a waste of wealth and it’s not wealth if the money is not used for the better.

10. Ross

I knew before I opened this it would be a case of people want more taxes for other people.

“Vast amount of money held by the few is a waste of wealth and it’s not wealth if the money is not used for the better.”

Did not seem like a waste of wealth when masses of people were exchanging there wealth in return for something from the individuals though, did it?

11. Watchman

The poll suggests there the public would respond favourably if Ed Miliband called for a Mansion Tax to plug the deficit instead of targeting the disabled.

No it doesn’t – it suggests that people are currently happy with the idea of the mansion tax, but not that they would respond favourably to Ed Miliband calling for one. After all, considering his current levels of respect, his calling for such a tax might well reduce support (at least amongst Conservative voters). Opinion polls cannot be used as direct evidence for what policies will be popular.

12. Trooper Thompson

The state never lives within its means anyway. If it increases taxes by X, it increases expenditure by X + Y. Better to starve the beast.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/PdcMtPSH

  2. Lanark

    New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/PdcMtPSH

  3. Ricky

    Poll shows majority of people want higher taxes on the wealthy: http://t.co/vnRDh5sK

  4. James Mills

    New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/PdcMtPSH

  5. James Mills

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  6. Patron Press - #P2

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  7. Patron Press - #P2

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  8. Carole Bonner

    New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/PdcMtPSH

  9. Em

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  10. Mike Smart

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  11. Carole Bonner

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  12. James Stanhope

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  13. James Mills

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  14. Ben Sellers

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  15. Ian Flynn

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  16. sunny hundal

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  17. Phil Jones

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  18. Alex Mitchell

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  19. Mike Fraser

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  20. Ian Greener

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  21. Miles Weaver

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  22. Miles Weaver

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  23. The Scunner

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  24. Janet Graham

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  25. Janet Graham

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  26. Victoria Lambert

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  27. Rob Ford

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  28. Rob Ford

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  29. Progressive Polling

    New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/PdcMtPSH

  30. Diane Hain

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  31. kieran yates

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  32. Eugene Grant

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  33. Brian Tomkinson

    ..and a massive 66% support a new £2m + Mansion Tax. Labour should be pushing this to reduce deficit http://t.co/kFsiJEp1

  34. Brian Tomkinson

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  35. Panda

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  36. Stuart White

    Public support for 'mansion tax' on very wealthy | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/I62xfswI via @libcon

  37. John D Clare

    Liberal Conspiracy – New poll: most Britons want higher taxes http://t.co/ZTcfeXMI

  38. Nick H.

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  39. Molly

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  40. simon thomas dean

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  41. JamieJones77

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  42. Not Rupert Murdoch

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  43. DPWF

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  44. LabourLeft

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  45. GMB Union

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  46. Melissa Higgs

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  47. Mark

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  48. Duncan Hall

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  49. Andy Sweetmore

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  50. Tim Weisselberg

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  51. Top Politics Tweets

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  52. Mel Pierce

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  53. Freya

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  54. Alana Fahy

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  55. Tom Serpell

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  56. Ricky

    Bulk of deficit due to drop in tax revenue: http://t.co/XUe7FOUJ & public broadly favour increasing tax on the rich: http://t.co/rK7j9cJh

  57. Taxing wealth? The public mood still escapes the Tories | Polly Toynbee – Marcus Evans Offices

    [...] The Hester moment is Labour’s chance to leap ahead and make unfairness the central charge against this government. Look at the Sunday Times YouGov poll: 62% say taxes on the wealthiest should be increased, while 66% support a mansion tax on property wor…. [...]

  58. taxes - Tenvipo

    [...] New poll: most Britons want higher taxes | Liberal Conspiracy Most Britons would support a Mansion Tax on wealthy estates – a poll by YouGov found yesterday. When asked: “Would you support or oppose a new tax upon people with houses worth more than £2 million?” – the question was supported by … Bow Wow Owes 6000 In Overdue Taxes – Starpulse.com Bow Wow is facing a massive tax bill after allegedly failing to hand over more than 6000 in payments over the last several years. The hip-hop star, real name Shad Gregory Moss, was first hit … Santorum to release four years of taxes – CNN Political Ticker – CNN … (CNN) — Rick Santorum said Monday he plans to release four years of tax returns that he found while digging through paperwork at his Pennsylvania home this weekend. [...]

  59. Taxing wealth? The public mood still escapes the Tories | Polly Toynbee | ForexWorldBlog

    [...] The Hester moment is Labour’s chance to leap ahead and make unfairness the central charge against this government. Look at the Sunday Times YouGov poll: 62% say taxes on the wealthiest should be increased, while 66% support a mansion tax on property wor…. [...]

  60. When the Daily Mail and Polly Toynbee are united in self-righteous anger, be afraid | G7Finance.com - Finance News & Personal Finance Resources

    [...] But the real running has been made by an unholy alliance between the left, in the form of such tribunes of the people as the Guardian‘s Polly Toynbee, and the populist right, in the form of the Daily Mail, which has worked hard to make first Mr Goodwin and lately Mr Hester into icons of greed and arrogance. Given that Ms Toynbee and the Mail do not agree on much, onlookers are entitled to feel a little queasy at seeing them in league. What links them? Well, Ms Toynbee is honest enough to say, straight out, that she thinks bankers are simply paid too much money, before you even get to questions of their conduct. Here she was this morning, before the news broke of Mr Goodwin’s de-gonging, cheering Mr Hester’s political mugging as a first step in a new war against wealth: The Hester moment is Labour’s chance to leap ahead and make unfairness the central charge against this government. Look at the Sunday Times YouGov poll: 62% say taxes on the wealthiest should be increased, while 66% support a mansion tax on property wor…. [...]

  61. Claire Peach

    62% of Britons – including half of Conservatives – say taxes on wealthiest should be increased http://t.co/NnIkMKNO

  62. Jamie brown

    @TomHarrisMP @ns_mehdihasan Only if you disagree with most of population (doesn't say 60% but increased tax in general)http://t.co/JgC6nNfe

  63. Jamie brown

    @Dave_McHale Yeah.It's odd.The talk of more tax as well.Polls show most favour higher taxes for better off http://t.co/JgC1Qdek

  64. Jamie brown

    @ScotlandTonight Polls on taxes/nationalisation are completely at odds with main parties policies. http://t.co/I51KQV6G http://t.co/JgC1Qdek

  65. Jamie brown

    Reminder that public (even torries) want higher taxes http://t.co/JgC1Qdek

  66. Jamie brown

    @ScotlandTonight No.There's very little evidence to support that.Most(including 50% of conservatives) want higher taxes http://t.co/JgC1Qdek

  67. Ricky Stafford

    Boris Johnson nowhere near the British people to support lower taxes on income. 62% support higher taxes on wealth. http://t.co/vnRyJvrQ

  68. Geoff

    Boris Johnson nowhere near the British people to support lower taxes on income. 62% support higher taxes on wealth. http://t.co/vnRyJvrQ

  69. Jamie brown

    @jon_s_maiden http://t.co/1AbR23f8 -rail. http://t.co/j5nfzxLA -utilities http://t.co/JgC1Qdek -tax. Never seen a rail poll below 50%





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