TUC Congress unanimously backs motion demanding wealth taxes

Delegates from the country’s trade unions have unanimously backed a motion calling for greater taxes on the wealthiest at the TUC Congress in Brighton.

The motion calls on the TUC to campaign for the introduction of progressive wealth taxes, an increase in capital gains tax, a windfall tax on highly profitable banks and “full funding of public services to ensure that schools, colleges and frontline services can deliver high-quality services”.

Congress also agreed to consider a national demonstration against austerity in spring next year.

The motion, moved by Unite and backed by a range of other unions, expressed dismay at the government’s attempts to cut welfare benefits and said that the Employment Rights Bill does not go far enough to tackle decades of weak business investment, offshoring and privatisation.

READ MORE: TUC Congress: Paul Nowak challenges Farage and demands windfall tax on banking sector

Matt Wrack, general secretary of NASUWT, said that the government had promised an end to austerity but that has failed to materialise.

“When the two-child benefit cap remains in place, that is not the end of austerity. When teachers win a pay rise but schools are forced to make cuts to pay for it, that is not the end of austerity.

“We have stagnating living standards in the face of an unresolved cost of living crisis, and the super-rich become ever richer. While public services suffer, profiteering continues and is not addressed.

“We live in a world of two very different countries – for millions of families, life is a real struggle over how to pay the bills, the lack of decent housing, the lack of jobs, with no future for our young people with sports facilities sold off and youth clubs closed.

“It’s time to rebuild, it’s time to change direction, to tackle inequality, to fix crumbling infrastructure, to restore our public services. Millions are watching, and our test is clear – to fight for that change and deliver it together.”

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook.

Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the PCS, said that the motion “should be sent to every member of the Cabinet and every Labour MP”.

“The problems of this country are not caused by migrants, or people on disability benefits, or pensioners claiming winter fuel allowance or the bin men in Birmingham standing up for fair pay. The fundamental problem in this country is a failure to tackle inequality, to regulate corporations and stand up for the interests of the real wealth creators – the working class people we represent.”

She also said that “more than ever” the country needs a government that will “shift wealth and power in favour of working class people”.

READ MORE: Labour Party Conference 2025: Full LabourList events programme, revealed

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey condemned 40 years of neoliberalism in Britain and an “anti-labour, anti-worker bias in government”.

“What that’s left us with is a country, an economy that’s completely skewed towards the financial services sector and away from the productive economy.

“The reason why most of our public services aren’t working is because they have been privatised and whatever is left has been outsourced.

“We need to tax wealth, but we need to recognise this is not just about taxing wealth, which is grossly skewed towards the top one percent, but also about addressing the underlying structure of our economy. There’s no good just spending more public money in a set up where the money is rooted straight back to the top one percent. We’ve got to restructure our economy at the same time.

“We’ve got to prioritise manufacturing, we’ve got to rebuild transport corridors, we’ve got to rebuild our energy infrastructure and we’ve got to it in public ownership.”

• SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
• SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
• DONATE: If you value our work, please chip in a few pounds a week and become one of our supporters, helping sustain and expand our coverage.
• PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
• ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].