Old Dunelmian and former Greggs chairman Ian Gregg has joined more than 100 wealthy Britons in calling on the Government to increase taxation on the country's richest people.

Ian is among 120 signatories to the "Proud to Pay" open letter addressed to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and organised by Patriotic Millionaires UK. The letter argues that those whose income is derived principally from accumulated wealth can afford to make a greater contribution, stating: "We want you to tax us. We can afford it."

The signatories suggest that the additional revenue could be used to reduce inequality, strengthen hospitals, schools and social care, invest in infrastructure and sustainable employment, and improve access to finance for small businesses. Ian signed the letter alongside figures including former England footballer Gary Lineker, writer and director Richard Curtis, musician Brian Eno, novelist Val McDermid and economist Gary Stevenson.

Ian attended Durham School before studying Classics at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. He took over the family business following the death of his father in 1964 and helped transform Greggs from a small Tyneside bakery into one of the country's best-known businesses. He later served as chairman until 2002. His belief in sharing the benefits of business success was also reflected in the establishment of the Greggs Charitable Trust, now the Greggs Foundation, in 1987.

This is not the first time Ian has spoken publicly in favour of reforming the taxation of wealth. Writing in *The Guardian* in 2022, he argued that those most able to afford it should make a greater contribution before governments imposed wider tax rises or reduced public services. He suggested that carefully designed reforms could raise substantial sums while helping to address deprivation and heal some of the divisions within society.

Ian has consistently stressed that such taxation should not be punitive, but should instead allow successful individuals to contribute towards building a fairer, stronger and more resilient country.