A proposal by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, that the wealthiest people in Britain should pay more tax to boost Britain's ailing economy has divided opinion in the Coalition. In a newspaper interview, Mr Clegg suggested the richest pay more for a limited time, to help bring about recovery.

The Conservative MP, Bernard Jenkin, who's chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee, told the Today programme that the idea as the "politics of envy" and one which risked driving wealth creators abroad.

But, also speaking on the programme, Susan Kramer - the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman in the House of Lords - said the rich must be made to pay their share

"You can't give a free ride to people," she told presenter Justin Webb.

"I don't think anyone ought to stand up anywhere in politics and say there is a group that are so wealthy that they should be given a free ride and should be excluded from having to carry the kind of burdens that other people have, particularly in a time of austerity like this. If we're going to be a coherent society, and that is absolutely fundamental to our success and our prosperity, everyone has to carry a share of it."

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