Labour leader calls for extra taxes on private landlords

Labour leader Keir Starmer (pictured) has called for a tax on landlords to pay for the rising costs of social care.

Instead of increasing National Insurance contributions by 1.25% to pay for the new health and social care levy, Starmer says his party would tax, “those with the broadest shoulders”.

Speaking at the Local Government Association Labour Leaders’ Summit, he said: “The government act like there was no alternative but there clearly was. The money could have been raised by taxing the incomes of landlords, and those who buy and sell large quantities of financial assets, stocks and shares.”

He added: “It leaves a private landlord renting out multiple properties not paying a penny more in tax, and their hard-working tenants to pick up the burden, it sees an Amazon worker’s taxes raised, but Amazon itself able to squirrel profits away in tax havens and only pay a fraction of what high street shops do, and it means our care workers aren’t given a pay rise but are expected to pay more in tax.”

Unfair

Starmer said the plan outlined by the government last week was unfair. “Who is left with the bill? It’s working people. It’s especially low earners and young people who have already borne the brunt of the economic impact of the pandemic.”

Labour has promised to transform access to care, making sure every older and disabled person who needs support gets it where they need it. Since the new levy was announced, the party has taken a poll lead over the Conservatives for the first time since January, according to YouGov, with the Tories seeing a five-point drop in support to 33% and Labour up one point to 35%.