
The chairman of the Brexit Party has announced that it would scrap inheritance tax and people are not impressed.
Since Nigel Farage launched the party in early 2019, it has released few details about its vision for the country beyond making sure the UK leaves the EU.
The party’s website offers no further clues about its platform other than a single promise to “challenge the self-serving two-party system, make the people sovereign, and restore trust in our democracy”.
But on Monday, the party’s chairman, Richard Tice tweeted:
I'm pleased to announce today that the Brexit Party would finally scrap the hated inheritance tax.
People pay tax their whole lives. It is immoral to hit grieving families when they are vulnerable. The Tories can copy this policy again if they want.
The announcement by the businessman behind the Leave Means Leave campaign did not go down well on Twitter
The great Brexit con. An agenda that claims to be against "elites", but is actually by the super rich, of the super… https://t.co/cNAHu4AeIH— David Lammy (@David Lammy) 1568009622
... because the number one issue constituents raise w me on doorsteps in #Newcastle is what is going to happen to t… https://t.co/FJBjTmy8dP— Chi Onwurah 💙 (@Chi Onwurah 💙) 1568030896
Oh look. Brexit Party is for rich people. Who is surprised? https://t.co/2VJeMoqzNy— Political Motivation (🏡) (@Political Motivation (🏡)) 1568008766
This will benefit the richest 4%. That’ll show the elite. https://t.co/HSiNNOoiQr— Stephen Mangan (@Stephen Mangan) 1568030076
Many people pointed out that the inheritance tax only affects people with property above a certain threshold
Only about 10% of deaths give rise to an inheritance tax bill. But too much is never enough for the staggeringly we… https://t.co/PuTqUkHPJ6— Jo Maugham (@Jo Maugham) 1567933551
Ah a clear sell to North & midlands where vast majority will never pay it as property doesn't reach threshold. In Y… https://t.co/gmF53mhqQH— Jess Phillips MP (@Jess Phillips MP) 1568024565
If you see 27 funerals only one set of relatives will be weeping because of the tax they have to pay. Take out wido… https://t.co/IDYlwnLbFu— Paul Lewis (@Paul Lewis) 1568013345
When I trained to be a lawyer; we learned 1001 ways to help rich people avoid paying inheritance tax, capital gains… https://t.co/wsmzIQ0iCs— Barbara Muldoon #LeftyLawyer (@Barbara Muldoon #LeftyLawyer) 1567981740
@TiceRichard There’s no inheritance tax on any estate up to £325,000. Zero. This is a tax cut for the rich precisel… https://t.co/N9eDoXlI7S— Aaron Bastani (@Aaron Bastani) 1567976723
But there were some people who defended the party’s new policy
@TiceRichard This is a very good policy. Paying tax your whole life on everything you earn and spend and then havin… https://t.co/ddawHdTHZh— Mikky 🇬🇧 (@Mikky 🇬🇧) 1567930294
After its launch earlier this year, the Brexit Party went on to win 30.5 per cent of the national vote at the European elections in May and gained 29 of the 73 UK seats.
The party has said it intends to fight all 650 seats across the country in the next general election. Nigel Farage claims that it has fielded more than 500 prospective parliamentary candidates.
Meanwhile, the party has taken out adverts in a number of Sunday newspapers with “an election offer for Boris”.
The adverts say: “Let’s have a clean-break Brexit, then we will help you secure a big Brexit majority and destroy Corbyn’s Labour. Together we would be unstoppable.”