More than 120 British millionaires, including former footballer Gary Lineker and musician Brian Eno, have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham urging him to raise taxes on the wealthiest individuals. The letter, organised by the campaign group Patriotic Millionaires UK, states: "We want you to tax us. We can afford it." It specifies that the proposed tax should target income derived from wealth, not earned income from work.

The signatories argue that a wealth tax is a patriotic act that would reduce inequality and fund public services. Patriotic Millionaires UK proposes a 2% levy on assets exceeding £10 million, which the group estimates could generate £24 billion annually. The group's polling indicates that 80% of UK millionaires support such a measure. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds welcomed the offer but said any major tax changes would be announced at a budget. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch countered that Lineker could already pay more voluntarily and warned that taxing wealth could drive job creators out of the country.

The intervention comes as Burnham, who has not ruled out a wealth tax, faces pressure to fund his recently announced cost-of-living policies, including a cap on bus fares and cuts to electricity bills. The letter also calls for reforms to capital gains tax, which the group says could raise an additional £12 billion. Other signatories include crime writer Val McDermid, director Richard Curtis, and former Greggs chairman Ian Gregg.

Patriotic Millionaires was founded in the United States after the 2008 financial crisis and now has independent branches in the UK and Canada that share a mission to combat inequality through progressive taxation. The UK group's letter was published this week, with most reports dating it to Thursday. Reynolds stated that any decision on tax policy would be made at a future budget, leaving the government's response to the appeal pending.