Press release - Brits have their say on how Burnham should pay for his political priorities

For immediate release

Tax the super-rich, banks and energy companies to pay for your plan, Brits tell Burnham

• Ahead of the Budget, new polling shows a majority of Brits think Burnham should increase tax on people with £10m or more, energy companies, and banks to pay for his political priorities.
• This comes at the same time as polling makes clear that a majority think the government prioritises the interests of big businesses, the super-rich and banks and bond markets, over working people and pensioners.
• Hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for Burnham to tax extreme wealth at the Budget were delivered to new No10 North in Manchester, in September.
• In March, 40 leading civil society organisations called on the Prime Minister and Chancellor to introduce excess profits taxes on companies – like banks and energy companies – that would generate record profits from the war on Iran.

12 October 2026, London – Andy Burnham is due to oversee his first Autumn Budget since entering No10, and hot on the heels of his Labour conference speech that’s been winning plaudits. Burnham’s government – and his Chancellor John Healey – are under pressure to deliver on a number of priorities, not least the cost of living as the energy price cap has risen once again, and is set to increase substantially in the middle of winter. 

When the Prime Minister spoke to Labour members at their conference in Liverpool, he set out a vision for Britain, including political priorities of expanded social housebuilding, reforming social care, increased devolution, and delivering good growth in every postcode.

Ahead of the Budget, new polling commissioned by Tax Justice UK, and undertaken by Survation found that a sizable majority (63%) of Brits favoured increasing taxes on people with wealth over £10m. When asked how Burnham should pay for his political priorities. Increasing tax on windfall profits made by energy companies was supported by 62%, while taxing windfall profits made by banks was supported by 61%. Conversely, just over a quarter (28%) supported these priorities being paid for by cutting spending on other public services. 

These findings come not long after civil society organisations including Tax Justice UK, 38 Degrees, Patriotic Millionaires UK and Oxfam GB delivered almost two hundred thousand signatures to No10 North calling for Andy Burnham to tax extreme wealth at the Budget. In March this year, Tax Justice UK, alongside other campaigning organisations, charities and trade unions urged former Chancellor Rachel Reeves to introduce excess profits taxes on companies that stood to gain significantly from the war on Iran. The emergence of the polling findings show strong public support for extra taxes on energy companies and banks, and could give John Healey confidence to introduce new revenue generating measures at the Budget.

However, despite strong public support for the government to fund its political priorities by taxing the very wealthiest, banks and energy companies, Survation research for Tax Justice UK found a stark disconnect. Seven in ten Brits (71%) think that the government prioritises the interests of corporations and big businesses, while two thirds think it prioritises people with wealth of more than £10m (67%) and the bond markets, banks and the finance sector (65%). By contrast, just four in ten people (43%) think the government prioritises working people or small businesses (43%) falling to 42% for pensioners

Faiza Shaheen, Executive Director at Tax Justice UK said: “Trust in politics is historically low after years of governments and politicians failing to improve lives. Andy Burnham and John Healey cannot afford to miss the open goal in front of them to tax the super-rich and the profiteering banks and energy companies help to sort out the urgent affordability crisis gripping the country. It would help them introduce meaningful support for people to pay their bills, and in putting an end to rip-off housing and energy. If they do this, which would be hugely popular, they have a chance to shake off the sense that this government is for the richest and most powerful. It would show they’re a government on the side of people in every corner of the country.”

Two of the tax reforms Tax Justice UK and Patriotic Millionaires UK are calling on the Chancellor to introduce at the Budget on 28 October are:

• Equalising capital gains tax with income tax and closing loopholes, raising around £12 billion a year; the required government grant funding for building ~90,000 social homes.
• Working towards a 2% annual wealth tax on assets over £10 million, raising around £24 billion a year and affecting only the very wealthiest. This would more than cover the £18.5bn a year estimated cost for the National Care Service.

Julia Davies, We Have The POWER Co-founder and member of Patriotic Millionaires UK said: “I don’t know how much more evidence there needs to be for the government to accept that there’s no tax change the British public want more than taxing the super-rich. The engine room of this country is our people. For decades, not only have they been asked to do the work that keeps our country moving, but to pay higher prices for the pleasure of doing it. Those of us with the good fortune to have wealth know that income from wealth should bear the same tax as income from work – at the very least. Plus we know we can pay more, know that we want to invest in this country, and know this government has to get on with the job of making our economy fair. We expect to see taxes on our wealth in this month’s Budget.”

Demand for the government to tax wealth more at the Budget has been increasing in recent months. Patriotic Millionaires UK, alongside Tax Justice UK and Spencer Owen – influencer and founder of football club Hashtag United – hosted a one of its kind football match on 9 October between team wealth and team work. Lacing their boots to highlight unfairness in the tax system, and the need to tax the super-rich, were influencers and content creators like Gary Stevenson, Ali Woods, Louisa Munch and and Sapphire McIntosh and Vanessa Puma, co-starring on TV’s Ted Lasso football team. The game took place at Hashtag United’s ground in London with rigged rules, as a metaphor for how the tax system favours people with extreme wealth, over ordinary taxpayers.

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Notes to editors:

• For further information, please contact Jake Woodier on 07503 789994 or jake@taxjustice.uk. 
• Tax Justice UK is one of the country’s leading campaigning and advocacy organisations working to bring about progressive tax reform. We campaign for a fairer tax system that takes more from the very wealthy. A tax system that actively redistributes wealth to tackle inequality; that funds high quality public services that we all rely on; and raises money to tackle climate change and doesn’t subsidise environmentally destructive business. Tax Justice UK is an independent partner of the Tax Justice Network. 
• Patriotic Millionaires is a nonpartisan network of millionaires, from multiple industries and backgrounds with groups currently based in the US, UK, France, and Canada. The organisation leverages the voice of wealth to build a better society by changing the system to end extreme wealth and make those with it make their fair and proper contribution.
• Survation polling methodology:
  • Fieldwork Dates – 2nd October 2026 – 5th October 2026
  • Data Collection Method -The survey was conducted via online panel. Invitations to complete the survey were sent out to members of the panel. Differential response rates from different demographic groups were taken into account.
  • Population Sampled UK – residents aged 18+
  • Sample Size – 2,037
  • Data tables – available here
• Hundreds of thousands of signatures calling for Andy Burnham to tax extreme wealth at the Budget, were delivered to No10 North in September. Photos available from Getty Images here.
• Civil society groups write to Rachel Reeves urging excess profits taxes on companies profiting from the war on Iran.