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A nurse would take 20,000 years to match your wealth, Mr Sunak

MP urges multimillionaire prime minister to contrast his own ‘vast wealth’ with the income of an NHS nurse before any cuts to public spending
Rishi Sunak answers questions on wealth tax and public spending in the Commons

MP urges multimillionaire prime minister to contrast his own ‘vast wealth’ with the income of an NHS nurse before any cuts to public spending

Rishi Sunak answers questions on wealth tax and public spending in the Commons
Prime minister Rishi Sunak promises he’ll show compassion

A nurse would have to work for more than 20,000 years to match new prime minister Rishi Sunak’s wealth, an MP told the Commons.

Labour MP Richard Burgon made his claim as he called on Mr Sunak to introduce wealth taxes on the country’s richest people rather than announce cuts to public services.

‘Super-rich could easily afford to pay more tax’

Speaking during prime minister’s questions on 26 October, Mr Burgon said: ‘A nurse would have to work over 20,000 years in order to match the vast wealth of this prime minister.

‘He knows only too well that the super-rich could easily afford to pay more in taxes, so rather than announce a new wave of cuts and austerity, wouldn’t it be fairer to introduce wealth taxes on the very richest in our society?’

‘Decisions will be difficult but fair’

Mr Sunak, a former banker, and his tech heiress wife Akshata Murty, have an estimated joint fortune of around £730 million. By Nursing Standard’s reckoning, it would take a band 5 nurse earning £27,055 roughly 27,000 years to come close to the couple’s wealth – and that’s with no outgoings.

In reply to Mr Burgon, the prime minister said: ‘As we approach the difficult decisions that confront us, we will do so in a way that is fair and compassionate because those are our values and that’s what we will deliver.’

Strikes loom as inflation surges

NHS nurses are currently being asked by unions to vote in favour of striking for better pay and conditions. With inflation topping 10%, the RCN, Unison, GMB and Unite have all called for a better pay award than the 4% offered to staff in England and Wales.

The Scottish government last week upped a previous offer of 5% to around 8%, backdated to April. Unions are now considering the latest offer, but RCN Scotland is urging members to push for strikes.


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