I READ with interest the letter from Charles Everett (Letters, December 14). His idea to raise extra revenue by imposing higher taxes on the rich didn’t work in the 1970s and won’t work now.

Basically, many people on high incomes will leave. They could even move to Jersey or the Isle of Man and pay less tax.

Very few countries have tax rates over 50 per cent. Many people can now work from home, and high-earning entertainers, whose work is likely to take them out of the country for long period, could live anywhere.

Therefore, rather than seeing a realistic portion of their income via the tax system, we won’t see any of it.

Many of the people Mr Everett would like to see pay more tax have been successful through their own efforts, rather than inherited wealth. The likes of Duncan Bannatyne and Paul Sykes come to mind.

These people have created many jobs and such people are vital to turning around the financial mess, heavily reliant on public-sector jobs, which is the legacy of New Labour.

Paul Allinson, Cawood Road, Wistow.