In his first few weeks as prime minister, Starmer has filled key cabinet posts and hired experts who will shape policymaking.
Carice Roberts, director of the left-leaning think tank the Institute for Public Policy Studies, has been hired as a special adviser to the Downing Street policy office.
The Secretary-General has spent much of his time arguing for higher taxes on employees and the wealthy.
Roberts co-authored a report published in 2018 called The Wealth Difference: Reforming Wealth Taxation, which set out five recommendations for reforming the way wealth tax is handled in the UK.
Keir Starmer has made key appointments in the weeks since becoming Prime Minister and has worked to build his government.
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One such proposal would replace the estate tax with a lifetime gift tax, which, simply put, is an expansion of the confiscation of family inheritances.
The changes would see the abolition of inheritance tax and a new tax imposed on gifts received by individuals above the lifetime limit of £125,000.
Once this lifetime limit is reached, gift income will be taxed annually at the same rate as earned income under the income tax system.
“If you are well advised and can predict when you will die, it is very easy to avoid inheritance tax,” Roberts argued.
John McDonnell, a Labour member who served as shadow chancellor, said in 2019 that the party was considering Roberts’ ideas.
Carice Roberts announced her new position in government in a post on X.
translation:
Member Updates:
“I think it’s interesting. We need a fairer system to make sure wealth is distributed more fairly. It’s an idea and we’re open to different ideas,” McDonnell said.
Roberts also personally supported John McDonnell’s plans to raise wealth taxes and force a reduction in working hours.
Other proposals in Roberts’ paper included taxing all income from the wealthy under the income tax structure, abolishing non-resident status and reforming trusts to make them more transparent.
Other proposals included introducing an annual property tax to replace local taxes and eventually stamp duty, and a land value tax to replace business rates.
Roberts was also one of the driving forces behind Labour’s now-withdrawn pledge to spend £28 billion a year on environmental investment.
In his new role, Roberts will advise Starmer on climate, energy and the environment.
