Actor Rob Delaney has passionately advocated for bold economic reforms and wealth redistribution in the UK, drawing from personal tragedy and a desire for social justice. Here’s the full story.
Delaney Calls for Reforms
Actor and comedian Rob Delaney has emerged as a vocal advocate for bold economic reforms in the United Kingdom, urging the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, to implement “Robin Hood-style” taxes on the wealthy.
Robin Hood Tax
A “Robin Hood Tax” is a proposed financial transaction tax designed to generate revenue by taxing financial market activities to fund public services and tackle social issues, effectively redistributing wealth from the financial sector to support the broader population. Implementing such a tax in the UK at a rate of 0.05% on financial transactions could potentially raise around £20-25 billion per year simply from taxing trades involving stocks, bonds, and derivatives.
Poverty in Wealthy UK
In an exclusive interview with Big Issue magazine, Delaney issued a damning indictment of the poverty levels he sees in the sixth richest country on earth. He stated, “The amount of money in this country is outrageous, the sheer square footage of empty flats owned by people who don’t live in this country – come on now.”
Frustration With Labour Government
Delaney expressed his deep-seated frustration with the recently elected Labour government who, he believes, is limiting what it can do to improve the lives of the UK citizens who have faced years of high inflation, wage stagnation and a cost-of-living crisis in a misguided attempt to appear fiscally responsible to appeal to the UK’s right-wing press and the voters they influence.
“There Is Money. Take It.”
Delaney stated, “So when I hear Rachel Reeves say, there isn’t any money, we’re not morons. There is money. Take it. Mint it. Make it happen. I’m not interested in equivocating or managing expectations. So say whatever you want, but make changes.”
Data Backs Delaney’s Claims
Dalaney’s direct and unapologetic stance that the UK is a wealthy country, yet somehow politicians regularly plead poverty whenever structural and long-standing inequalities need to be fixed, is backed up by years of data. Rates of child poverty in the UK have soared since 2010, foodbank use has skyrocketed over the same period, and, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1 in 5 UK people are currently living in poverty.
The Stark Wealth Gap
As for the wealth available in the country, the figures are stark. A recent HMRC report estimated the tax gap, the difference between the amount of tax that should be collected and what has been paid, to be £39.8bn for the 2022-23 tax year. However, that might not be all the money which has escaped taxation, as HMRC has also faced pressure after revealing to Tax Policy Associates in September 2021 that UK taxpayers held nearly £570bn in tax havens.
Personal Tragedy Influences View
Delaney’s perspective on wealth and politics is deeply influenced by personal tragedy. The loss of his two-year-old son Henry to brain cancer in 2018 profoundly changed his outlook. Delaney explained how his son’s illness and subsequent death highlighted the limitations of money, stating, “I went from a lower tax bracket to a higher tax bracket at the same time my son Henry’s health was failing… I was finding out the limits of what money can do.”
NHS Struggles Noticed
Despite praising the nursing staff in the NHS who treated his son, Delaney noticed the struggle many were experiencing in doing their jobs effectively due to the stagnant wages of NHS workers. He noted, “I was also seeing nursing staff who have to take three buses to get to work because they can’t afford to live anywhere near the hospital. And that was very educational for me.”
Cautiously Optimistic About Labour
Having lived in the UK since 2014 and having only experienced Conservative governments since then, Delaney is cautiously optimistic about the new Labour government under Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
“Beacon of Hope”
He stated, “It does feel a little bit different. Anything that gives people a little beacon of hope is always positive. I wasn’t telling people to go vote Labour this time, for a variety of reasons, but I’m entirely prepared to give Starmer and company at least a 20-minute grace period.”
Vision for Wealth Distribution
Delaney hopes to see more substantial and radical actions taken to address the disturbing levels of economic inequality in the UK. He envisions a society where wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a few but is distributed in a way that benefits everyone. He noted, “Money can solve a lot of problems. It’s great. It should be handed out Robin Hood-style to poor people all day long.”
Labour’s Critical Time
Rob Delaney’s call for Robin Hood-style wealth distribution has come at a critical time for the newly elected Labour government, with a brewing rebellion over their indecision on whether to axe the deeply unpopular and controversial two-child benefit cap introduced by the previous Conservative government.
Will Labour Meet Vision?
As the new Labour government takes the reins, it remains to be seen whether Starmer’s Labour party will be able to match Delaney’s bold vision of a country with true economic justice or whether the actor-turned-activist will be left disappointed.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / John Gomez.