Spiteful or fair? Reeves’s mansion tax plan proves divisive | Letters
Jonathan Liew’s article (Won’t somebody please think of Britain’s poor £2m homeowners? Oh, wait – everyone already is, 2 November) entirely misses the point that underlies the spate of criticism against the “mansion tax”,While wealth disparity is no doubt an issue that needs to be addressed, this tax is a spiteful assault on hard-working taxpayers who already pay an enormous proportion of their salary to the Treasury to support a woefully mismanaged public sector and welfare state,Those who support the tax seem to be driven by a simple ideology that we need to “bash the rich” to create equality,In the real world, this tax penalises hard-working families who have made difficult choices and made huge sacrifices to get to where they are,I come from a working-class background, I worked hard at school and achieved good grades, I worked part-time jobs, paid my own way through university and chose a profession that pays well, relocating to London and making sacrifices to earn good money – spending 18 hours a day in the office – and I chose to buy property and invest in it.
I did not enjoy annual holidays or a defined-benefit pension that others enjoy.These are all choices that I have made in the hope that the hard work and sacrifices will pay off, and that my family and I can enjoy the fruit of my labour.The principles of hard work, self-sacrifice and aspiration should be rewarded.We are biting the hand of middle England that feeds this bloated country.Robert ApplefordSevenoaks, Kent Jonathan Liew’s article is a brilliantly witty and accurate depiction of the skewed nature of current public discourse on wealth and fairness in this country.
Maybe it’s nothing new, but the reaction to the so-called mansion tax that Jonathan describes seems indicative of an increasing lack of any sense of privilege among the most privileged in our society.My wife and I own our home (worth £250,000), though with a substantial mortgage.Our annual household income is around £70,000, which has to cover the aforementioned mortgage as well as the cost of raising three young children.I don’t always feel lucky (I mainly just feel tired), but I know that in the grand scheme of things, I am incredibly lucky and privileged.I try to remind myself of this fact whenever I’m tempted to complain or whine about something.
I (maybe naively) assumed that most people in similar or more privileged circumstances shared this sentiment, but am increasingly worried that it might be becoming a more and more rare perspective.Tom HoldenOtley, West Yorkshire The people complaining about being subject to the mansion tax have no recognition of how privileged they are to be able to afford to buy property outright, never mind a property of that value.I wonder how they would feel to be in my shoes.I have a supposedly affordable shared-ownership flat.The balancing charges for the last three years have amounted to almost £10,000 on top of the monthly fee.
A £2,500 tax seems reasonable by comparison.I would love to own a house outright so I don’t have to be subject those charges, but that is not going to happen on my income.Some people really do have a tin ear.Vicky Mills Winchester I loved Jonathan Liew’s piece about the rich whingeing about a small bit of tax.It reminded me of the billionaire bankers and hedge fund managers whingeing about a bit of corporation tax.
Meanwhile, children starve,Men and women live in tents in the park,The problem is that the rich honestly think they deserve their wealth while the poor deserve their poverty,Otherwise how could they live with themselves? For more on this timeless topic, read George Bernard Shaw’s introduction to Pygmalion written in 1913,Kit JacksonLondon Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Barbican revamp to give ‘bewildering’ arts centre a new lease of life
Project will make the famously confusing London landmark easier to navigate and more accessible“Everything leaks,” says Philippa Simpson, the director of buildings and renewal at the Barbican, who is standing outside the venue’s lakeside area and inspecting the tired-looking tiles beneath her feet.Water seeps through the cracks into the building below and serves as a reminder of the job facing Simpson and the team who are overhauling the 43-year-old landmark.The first phase of the project will cost £231m, and Simpson – who did a similar, if less daunting, job for the Young V&A in east London – hopes it will be finished in time for the 50th anniversary in 2032. The overall bill is estimated to be £451m.A mammoth task awaits her
A minimalist statement or just Pantonedeaf? ‘Cloud dancer’ shade of white named Pantone’s 2026 colour of the year
Hi, Emma! I’m so pumped to find out what colour 2026 is going to be. Fill me in!Brace yourself, Nick. Every year since 1999 Pantone chooses a colour for the year, a representation of the zeitgeist – from how we’re feeling to what we’re wearing, how we’re styling our homes and even our eyebrows. Last year’s was the darker shade of beige “mocha mousse”, the year before that was the soft, warm “peach fuzz”.This year’s pick is even more baffling
Jimmy Kimmel on Pete Hegseth, ‘our secretary of war crimes’
Late-night hosts tore into Pete Hegseth’s Venezuelan boat blame game, Donald Trump’s cabinet meeting naps and the annual Spotify Wrapped lists.Jimmy Kimmel opened his Wednesday-evening monologue with an acknowledgement of a yearly tradition: the annual Spotify Wrapped list, documenting users’ listening habits for the year.“This Spotify, they really have it figured out,” he said. “They spy on you all year. It’s what they do
Norman conquest coin hoard to go on show in Bath before permanent display
The coins were buried in a valley in the English West Country almost 1,000 years ago at a time of huge political and social turmoil.A millennium on, plans have been announced to bring the Chew Valley Hoard, 2,584 silver coins hidden shortly after the Norman conquest, back to the south-west of England.The feelgood story of how the coins, worth more than £4m, were found by a band of metal detectorists will be told but visitors will also be encouraged to reflect on how the world continues to be gripped by worries about conflict, the actions of the powerful and money.Sam Astill, the chief executive of South West Heritage Trust, which acquired the hoard for the nation last year, said the idea was not just about showing off the coins and telling their history.He said: “There will also be a conversation about turning points, turning points in history or in people’s lives
Jon Stewart on Trump claiming not to know about his own MRI: ‘That’s not physically possible’
Late-night hosts tore into Donald Trump for his use of an ableist slur and unconvincing attempts to assuage concerns about his cognitive abilities.As the Thanksgiving spirit gave way to the work week, Jon Stewart tore into the president for using an ableist slur to describe the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz. In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump called Walz, who ran against him last year as Kamala Harris’s running mate, “seriously retarded”.“On Thanksgiving?! Are you confusing that with Festivus?” the Daily Show host exclaimed on Monday evening.Days later, asked by reporters if he regretted his remarks, Trump doubled down, saying that there was “something seriously wrong” with the Democratic governor
A Traitors cloak, Britpop Trumps and a very arty swearbox: it’s the 2025 Culture Christmas gift guide!
Put some artful oomph into your festive season with our bumper guide, featuring everything from a satanic South Park shirt to Marina Abramović’s penis salt and pepper potsThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.Is there an overly sweary person in your life? Do you have a friend who’s utterly bereft without The Traitors? Would anyone you know like to shake up their cocktail-making? And do you ever wish your neighbours’ doormat was, well, a bit more kinky?The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link
Thousands of patients in England at risk as GP referrals vanish into NHS ‘black hole’
Spiteful or fair? Reeves’s mansion tax plan proves divisive | Letters
Young unemployed told to engage with jobs scheme or risk benefit cuts
Gambling addicts risk losing ‘life-saving’ help due to funding overhaul, say UK charities
New US seed ban risks driving cannabis genetics underground, growers warn
Gen Z office survival guide: how to overcome telephobia and get up early