"Here's the truth. The proposed top rate of income tax is not 50 per cent. It is 50 per cent plus 1.5 per cent national insurance paid by employees plus 13.3 per cent paid by employers. That's not 50 per cent. Two years from now, Britain will have the highest tax rate on earned income of any developed country"
About this Quote
The move that follows is pure producer math, built for impact rather than audit. He stacks the headline income-tax rate with employee National Insurance and then adds employer contributions, collapsing three different mechanisms into one dramatic number. The intent isn’t merely to correct a misconception; it’s to redefine what "tax rate" means so the audience experiences a cliff, not a slope. Including the employer share is especially telling: most workers don’t see it on their payslip, but employers do, and Lloyd Webber is speaking in the register of payroll, job creation, and competitiveness - the language of boardrooms as much as backstage.
Subtext: this isn’t just about fairness; it’s about flight. The specter of "highest...of any developed country" is a cultural trigger in Britain’s tax debates, where "world-beating" can sound like pride or punishment depending on your class position. Coming from a wealthy, high-profile composer, the plea is also a preemptive defense: if the successful start leaving, the state has overreached. It’s less a warning than a threat wrapped in arithmetic, delivered with the authority of someone used to selling out theaters - and to being charged accordingly.
Quote Details
| Topic | Money |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Webber, Andrew Lloyd. (2026, January 16). Here's the truth. The proposed top rate of income tax is not 50 per cent. It is 50 per cent plus 1.5 per cent national insurance paid by employees plus 13.3 per cent paid by employers. That's not 50 per cent. Two years from now, Britain will have the highest tax rate on earned income of any developed country. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/heres-the-truth-the-proposed-top-rate-of-income-113313/
Chicago Style
Webber, Andrew Lloyd. "Here's the truth. The proposed top rate of income tax is not 50 per cent. It is 50 per cent plus 1.5 per cent national insurance paid by employees plus 13.3 per cent paid by employers. That's not 50 per cent. Two years from now, Britain will have the highest tax rate on earned income of any developed country." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/heres-the-truth-the-proposed-top-rate-of-income-113313/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Here's the truth. The proposed top rate of income tax is not 50 per cent. It is 50 per cent plus 1.5 per cent national insurance paid by employees plus 13.3 per cent paid by employers. That's not 50 per cent. Two years from now, Britain will have the highest tax rate on earned income of any developed country." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/heres-the-truth-the-proposed-top-rate-of-income-113313/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
