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A prominent Labour donor has told wealthy Britons threatening to leave the country over potential tax hikes to “f*** off,” claiming they contribute little to the UK if they are only here for low taxes.
Dale Vince, the green energy tycoon who has previously donated £5 million to Labour, has dismissed arguments that higher taxes will harm UK entrepreneurship, describing this view as “profoundly stupid.” Instead, Mr Vince suggests Britain would be better off without those who are prepared to leave if, as expected, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves raises taxes in the upcoming Budget.
“If people only live here because they pay less tax, they should f— off,” said Mr Vince, the Telegraph reported. “This is a brilliant country. There’s no way people won’t live here because of a fairer tax system.”
The outspoken comments come as the Chancellor gears up for an autumn statement that’s expected to include a raft of tax increases aimed at filling what Reeves has called a £40 billion deficit in the economy.
Speculation suggests that higher capital gains tax and inheritance tax reform are among the options under consideration.
Britain’s top 100 taxpayers alone contributed £3.9 billion in capital gains and income tax in 2022-23.
But research revealed last week indicates that over 6,000 millionaires are expected to leave the UK for the EU by year’s end in anticipation of looming tax changes.
Among those threatening to move is Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers, who put his £12 million London penthouse on the market and discussed moving abroad.
Mr Vince, founder of the pioneering green energy firm Ecotricity, has also turned his ire on ‘Nimbyism’—in particular, those opposing the government’s net-zero drive by protesting against new infrastructure like electricity pylons and overhead cables.
“Countryside dwellers need to accept that this is a contribution to our national economy,” he said. “Some aren’t used to it.”
Worth around £100 million, Mr Vince has come a long way from his humble beginnings, dropping out of school at 15, spending a decade travelling in a converted ambulance, and ultimately setting up Ecotricity in 1995 with a windmill to power telephones at Glastonbury.
Beyond Ecotricity, Mr Vince also founded lab-grown diamond company Skydiamond and runs Forest Green Rovers, a vegan football club, continuing to stake his claim as one of Britain’s wealthiest green entrepreneurs.
