Johnson’s motion follows calls by Mayor of London Boris Johnson for the Government to abolish the rate which supporters say affects only the richest 1% of households in the UK.
In December the Mayor said: ”It’s no secret that I think in the long run a 50p tax rate is not going to be competitive with our major rivals.
“They all have lower top rates of tax now than the UK. It can’t go on forever, in my view.”
The Mayor has also called for an end to “banker-bashing”, which a key aide to the Mayor has warned could have “severe fiscal consequences” for the UK economy.
The motion will be presented at a meeting of the full London Assembly on Wednesday 16th March and will require the support of a majority of AMs to be adopted.
Mr Johnson claimed the Mayor’s public salary and the fees from his regular Telegraph column put him “amongst the richest 50,000 earners in the country.”
Johnson added: “As even the Chancellor himself said, it would be grossly unfair for the Government to give away tax cuts to the super rich while youth centres and A&E units are being closed across the capital.
“I want to see the Mayor calling for extra action to stop tax avoidance, instead of supporting people who shirk their duty to fellow Londoners.”
The proposed motion reads:
“This Assembly supports retention of the 50p tax rate for those earning over £150,000, and regrets the Mayor’s call for its abolition.
“It notes that a family with two children and a household income of £150,000 would be in the richest 1% of households in the country, and believes it is fair to expect the very richest households, many of whom live and work in London, to contribute more to the national finances, particularly at this time.
“The Assembly therefore requests that the Chair writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressing this Assembly’s support for keeping the 50p tax rate.”
