This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/nov/18/myleene-klass-ed-miliband-mansion-tax

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Myleene Klass ‘goes full Paxman’ on Ed Miliband over mansion tax Myleene Klass ‘goes full Paxman’ on Ed Miliband over mansion tax
(35 minutes later)
Ed Miliband has found himself coming under attack from yet another unexpected quarter. Appearing on ITV’s The Agenda, the Labour leader appeared to be taken by surprise when singer Myleene Klass criticised his plans for a tax on properties worth more than £2m. Ed Miliband has come under attack from yet another unexpected quarter. Appearing on ITV’s The Agenda, the opposition Labour leader appeared to be taken by surprise when singer Myleene Klass criticised his plans for a tax on properties worth more than £2m.
As he sought to defend the so-called mansion tax as a principled way of raising extra funding for the NHS, Klass said the levy would hit “little grannies” living in modest homes in London rather than the super rich Miliband claimed to be targeting. As he sought to defend the so-called mansion tax as a principled way of raising extra funding for the NHS, Klass said the levy would hit “little grannies” living in modest homes in London rather than the super-rich Miliband claimed to be targeting.
“What is so disturbing is the name in its own right: ‘mansion’. So immediately you conjure up in your head these Barbie-esque houses … but in London, which is where 80% of the people who are going to be paying this tax actually live, the south east of England, have you seen what that amount of money can get you? Often it’s like a garage,” she said. “What is so disturbing is the name in its own right: ‘mansion’. So immediately you conjure up in your head these Barbie-esque houses … but in London, which is where 80% of the people who are going to be paying this tax actually live, the south-east of England, have you seen what that amount of money can get you? Often it’s like a garage,” she said.
“When you do look at the people who will be suffering this tax, it’s true a lot of them are grannies who have had these houses in their families for a long, long time. The people who are the super-super rich buying their houses for £140m, this is not necessarily going to affect them because they have got their tax rebates and their amazing accountants. It’s going to be the little grannies who have lived in those houses for years and years.” “When you do look at the people who will be suffering this tax, it’s true a lot of them are grannies who have had these houses in their families for a long, long time. The people who are the super-super-rich buying their houses for £140m, this is not necessarily going to affect them because they have got their tax rebates and their amazing accountants. It’s going to be the little grannies who have lived in those houses for years and years.”
Miliband, who initially appeared to be taken aback by the force of her onslaught, fought back. “The values of my government are going to be different to the values of this government,” he said. “I say bring on this debate. I think it is a principled view that those with the broadest shoulders should pay the biggest burden. I think that is a decent, right principle and that is not happening under this government.”Miliband, who initially appeared to be taken aback by the force of her onslaught, fought back. “The values of my government are going to be different to the values of this government,” he said. “I say bring on this debate. I think it is a principled view that those with the broadest shoulders should pay the biggest burden. I think that is a decent, right principle and that is not happening under this government.”
An increasingly exasperated Klass retorted: “Is that your only option? You may as well just tax me on this glass of water. You can’t just point at things and tax them.”An increasingly exasperated Klass retorted: “Is that your only option? You may as well just tax me on this glass of water. You can’t just point at things and tax them.”
She was supported by fellow guest, former ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer, who said: “You’re going to screw me royally.”She was supported by fellow guest, former ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer, who said: “You’re going to screw me royally.”
As the row continued, viewers took to Twitter, with one writing: “You know it’s gone truly surreal when Myleene Klass goes full Paxman on Miliband.”As the row continued, viewers took to Twitter, with one writing: “You know it’s gone truly surreal when Myleene Klass goes full Paxman on Miliband.”