We can’t afford the wealthy

Every day we’re told that Britain can’t afford the poor and that there isn’t enough money for care, housing or wages. But the truth is the opposite: it’s the poor who can’t afford the rich.

In this video, I explain how wealth extraction through interest, rent, and monopoly profit acts like three hidden taxes on us all. These “taxes of rentier capitalism” drain our pay, inflate our bills, and keep poverty in place.

What this makes clear is that scarcity is a political choice, not an economic fact. Fiscal rules, low taxes on capital and privatisation all serve the wealthy, not society. Ending these subsidies could release the capacity for the investment we need in care, housing, and decent wages.

If we stop affording the rich, we can afford everyone else.