Starmer's tax return reveals he paid higher rate than PM

Sir Keir Starmer was effectively taxed at a rate of nearly 32 per cent in the past financial year, while the prime minister, a multimillionaire, paid tax in effect at just over 22 per cent, analysis by The Independent shows.

- JANE DALTON & KATE DEVLIN

The Labour leader earned £126,154 in salary as an MP and leader of the opposition, on which he paid £43,103 in income tax, according to his newly published tax return for 2021-22.

He also earned nearly £85,000 in capital gains from the sale of a house that he helped his sister to buy. On that, he paid £23,930 in tax.

It brought his total tax bill to £67,033 on £211,620 of income – effectively giving him an overall tax rate of 31.67 per cent, The Independent has calculated.

Sir Keir published his tax return a day after Rishi Sunak’s was released – which coincided with Boris Johnson’s dramatic appearance before the privileges committee to try to save his political career.