In response to the letter, Ms Reynolds told Times Radio: “If people who are rich and earning well want to pay more, I would welcome that; as chief secretary to the Treasury I would be very pleased indeed.”
She added: “There’s a link on gov.uk if they want to pay more taxes.”
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, also pointed out that Mr Lineker could make a donation to the Government if he wanted to pay more tax. She said at the time: “He can write a cheque to the Treasury, no one is stopping him.”
Members of the public have long been able to make a direct bank transfer to the Treasury to go towards public expenditure. In the past decade, 62 taxpayers have donated more than £2.3m between them.
Mr Lineker’s representatives refused to comment on whether he intended to make a future donation to the Government or why he seemingly hadn’t done so despite Ms Reynolds’s advice.
But Stephen Kinsella, a lawyer and member of Patriotic Millionaires, said the voluntary scheme was not an adequate replacement for a wealth tax.
He said: “Tax is not charity, it’s mandatory. A voluntary scheme is no replacement, and evidently, it does not work. Ordinary people are required to pay their fair share, and it’s time the same rules applied to the super-rich.
“Inviting voluntary donations won’t get the job done – that’s why we are urging the Chancellor to address our country’s unequal tax system in the Budget, by reforming capital gains tax and committing to an annual wealth tax.”
