As Global Tariff Wars Escalate, TAP Calls for Urgent Action to Protect the Most Vulnerable

London, UK 8 April 2025– With the global economy facing fresh turbulence from the tariff wars triggered by the United States, Taxpayers Against Poverty (TAP) is calling on the UK Government to take immediate, targeted action to shield those in poverty from the harshest consequences of rising prices.

“The fallout from global economic conflict will hit low-income households first and hardest,” said Tom Burgess, Executive Director, Taxpayers Against Poverty. “Food, energy, and basic goods are already becoming more expensive — and those barely scraping by are the least able to absorb the shock.”

TAP warns that without a compassionate and strategic response, millions more could be pushed into hardship. The organisation is urging policymakers to prioritise poverty reduction as a matter of national economic resilience.

Some of TAP’s Policy Recommendations:

• Abolish Council Tax for Renters: A blunt and regressive charge on those with the least stability, council tax disproportionately affects low-income renters. Scrapping it would offer immediate relief.

• Raise the Minimum Wage to a Real Living Wage: In line with the rising cost of living, increasing the minimum wage would empower workers to keep pace with inflation.

• Guarantee a Minimum Income Standard for Benefits: Ensure that no one receiving benefits falls below a level of income required for basic dignity and security.

• Stimulate the Economy Through Green Incentives: Invest in sustainable housing, energy efficiency, and public transport to create jobs and reduce costs over the long term.

“There are just some of the political choices that can soften the blow and protect those who are already struggling,” the spokesperson continued. “We cannot allow those with the least to pay the price for international brinkmanship.”

Funding Fairness

TAP also outlines fair and viable funding options that would avoid further burdening those already struggling financially:

• Align Capital Gains Tax with Income Tax: A long-overdue reform that would close unjust loopholes and ensure the wealthy pay their fair share.

• Introduce a Tax on Personal Assets Over £10 Million: A modest levy on extreme wealth could raise billions in revenue — without touching ordinary families.

  
  

“A just economy is a resilient economy,” TAP concluded. “This is a moment for bold leadership that puts people, not profit, at the centre of policy. We cannot afford more inequality — economically or morally.”