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Reform-linked thinktank ‘to call for big tax cuts for the rich’

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Cite

correspondent, K. M. B. (2026, September 16). Reform-linked thinktank ‘to call for big tax cuts for the rich’. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/sep/16/reform-thinktank-tax-cuts-rich-centre-for-a-better-britain

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The Guardian · collected 2026-09-16 · by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent

Quick Summary

A thinktank linked to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, called the Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB), is preparing a 200-page policy document set to propose significant tax cuts for wealthy individuals in the UK. The plan includes abolishing inheritance tax and phasing out capital gains tax, which currently raise £8.5 billion and £24 billion annually respectively. Bloomberg reported that CFABB also aims to ease financial regulations, potentially described as “Big Bang 2.0,” but a spokesperson denied these claims and insisted there would be no unfunded tax cuts in the final report.
Written by AI on 2026-09-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

A thinktank linked to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, called Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB), is preparing a policy plan that reportedly advocates significant tax cuts for the wealthy. The 200-page document, due to be published next week, includes proposals to abolish inheritance tax and phase out capital gains tax, which would reduce vital funding sources for the Treasury. Inheritance tax raised £8.5 billion last year, while capital gains tax brought in a record £24 billion in 2024-25. Additionally, CFABB is expected to propose deregulating financial services and restructuring the Treasury's responsibilities, mirroring Margaret Thatcher’s "Big Bang" reforms of the 1980s. These moves are seen as part of Reform UK’s platform ahead of the next election.

Written for “Tax Cuts For Wealthy Debated” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Tax Cuts For Wealthy Debated
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans right and hedges 10% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Daily Mail
Hedges 3 of 20 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different initiatives: one by Kemi Badenoch to scrap inheritance tax and another by a thinktank linked to Reform UK calling for substantial tax cuts for the rich, including abolishing inheritance tax.”
Daily Mail
⚖️ Leans strongly right further right than this Hedges 1 of 29 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles discuss related policy proposals but describe different entities and timelines: one mentions Kemi Badenoch potentially abolishing inheritance tax if elected, while the other discusses a thinktank linked to Nigel Farage's Reform UK preparing to call for substantial tax cuts including abolishing inheritance tax.”
Daily Mail
⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this Hedges 1 of 27 claims Outlet record 68/100
“The articles describe different aspects of Reform's stance on inheritance tax and related policy proposals, not a single specific incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
21
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
10%
2 of 21 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans right
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
66/100
The Guardian's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-16 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Guardian · 2765 article(s) · 6 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 6 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent
13 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 It said the managers would offer voluntary discussions to each billionaire before they filed their taxes, to “help build a shared understanding of the customers’ UK tax affairs and make subsequent engagement more focused and proportionate”.
2026-10-29 · assertive framing · HMRC puts 200 billionaires on UK tax crackdown hitlist
🔮 Lloyds’ chief financial officer, William Chalmers, acknowledged that the economic environment was “challenging but said this should not come at the expense of the banking sector, as it provides loans that could fuel UK growth.
🔮 “Without such a requirement, employers may delay, provide evasive responses or avoid responding,” the EHRC said.
🔮 The bank’s chief executive, CS Venkatakrishnan, said he would be passing more cash to investors through a £500m share buyback, taking the total amount given to shareholders since January – through buybacks and dividends – to £2.8bn.
🔮 The move was meant to offset a rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25%, after the industry argued higher taxes would put them at a competitive disadvantage compared with other big financial centres such as New York.
🔮 The eye-watering sum will be shared between 20 bankers, with its chief executive, David Solomon, due to take about $100m (£75.6m) of the reward, which is made up of Goldman Sachs stock.
🔮 The FCA had also given Andriesz misleading information, saying he would not qualify for whistleblower protection because his identity had become known.
🔮 UK authorities are being urged to intervene after it emerged that the online prediction market Polymarket has been taking thousands of dollars worth of bets over whether HSBC and Lloyds will fail.
🔮 The governor of the Bank of England has said authorities must retain the “right to intervene” in the AI industry amid growing fears that rogue models could take the financial system hostage.
🔮 The Centre for a Better Britain’s (CFABB) report – which also calls for weaker rules for UK banks and Trump-style investment accounts offering £1,000 to newborns – will be formally launched at a private event with City executives on Wednesday.
Also by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 13 articles by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent →

Topics

Bloomberg CFABB Reform UK Reform UK’s Treasury

Subjects

CFABB ORG · 7× Bloomberg ORG · 3× Orr PERSON · 3× Reform ORG · 3× Reform UK ORG · 3× Reform UK’s ORG · 2× Treasury ORG · 2× Jonathan Brown PERSON · 1× Nigel Farage’s PERSON · 1× The Centre for a Better Britain ORG · 1×

Narrative

In an interview with the Financial Times last autumn, Brown – the thinktank’s founder – said he planned to look at ways to weaken the authority of Britain’s courts and civil service, in what some said echoed “Project 2025”, the US project drawn up in the run-up to Donald Trump’s second presidency to help him deliver radical conservative policies with greater political power.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-16
🔮 That would mean depriving the Treasury of a lucrative source of funding.
2026-09-16 · The Guardian
Reform-linked thinktank ‘to call for big tax cuts for the rich’ · assertive framing

Claims (21 extracted, 2 hedged)

A thinktank linked to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is preparing an influential policy plan that is reportedly going to call for substantial tax cuts for the rich. uncertain
that → link → rich
The Centre for a Better Britain (CFABB) is due to publish the 200-page document next week, giving insight into the economic and financial policies that are likely to form part of Reform UK’s platform before the next election. asserted
that → publish → election
The thinktank proposals are said to benefit some of the UK’s wealthiest taxpayers, by abolishing inheritance tax and phasing out capital gains tax, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources. uncertain
which → say → sources
That would mean depriving the Treasury of a lucrative source of funding. asserted
That → mean → funding
The UK’s inheritance tax raised £8.5bn last year, while capital gains tax brought in a record £24bn in 2024-25, for public and government operations. asserted
tax → raise → operations
The CFABB – founded by the former Reform chief operations officer Jonathan Brown – is also expected to propose cutting rules and regulation for the UK’s financial services sector, in what is being dubbed “Big Bang 2.0”, a reference to Margaret Thatcher’s City deregulation drive in the 1980s. asserted
what → found → 1980s
That is on top of calls to break up the Treasury and move its economic growth responsibilities to a different department, the news outlet reported. asserted
outlet → break → department
A spokesperson for the CFABB said Bloomberg appeared to have been briefed on an “early draft of the report” that did not reflect what would be released next week. asserted
what → say → report
They also insisted that there would be “no unfunded tax cuts” proposed in the report, and “no suggestions that we go pre-2008” in terms of regulatory reforms. asserted
we → insist → reforms
The spokesperson said the Bloomberg story included inaccuracies, but said they would not be drawn into discussing which points were incorrect. asserted
points → say → inaccuracies
The prospective tax proposals come as Reform UK faces questions over the motivation of two crypto billionaires – Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne – who each donated £36m to the party within 24 hours last weekend. asserted
who → come → hours
The donations, totalling a combined £72m, amplified concerns about the influence of “mega donors” on British politics. asserted
donations → total → politics
Harborne and Delo have both denied seeking to buy influence over the party’s policies. asserted
Harborne → deny → policies
The CFABB has notable ties with Farage’s party, with its operations based in Millbank Tower near Reform’s headquarters. asserted
operations → have → headquarters
It formally launched as CFABB in September last year, after raising fresh funds under its previous guise, Resolute 1850. asserted
It → launch → guise
The original name is said to have been reference to the Royal Navy ship, HMS Resolute, whose timbers were used to make the US president’s desk in the Oval Office. asserted
timbers → say → Office
In an interview with the Financial Times last autumn, Brown – the thinktank’s founder – said he planned to look at ways to weaken the authority of Britain’s courts and civil service, in what some said echoed “Project 2025”, the US project drawn up in the run-up to Donald Trump’s second presidency to help him deliver radical conservative policies with greater political power. asserted
him → say → power
CFABB currently has five staff, and previously counted James Orr – Reform UK’s former head of policy – as chair of its advisory board. asserted
CFABB → have → board
Orr was suspended from Reform UK earlier this month after being filmed in an undercover investigation appearing to help orchestrate a plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations. asserted
Orr → suspend → donations
Orr denies wrongdoing. asserted
Orr → deny → wrongdoing
A spokesperson for CFABB said Orr stepped down from the thinktank role when he took a job at Reform in February, and was not replaced. asserted
he → say → February
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