Brits attending BBC Question Time were shocked when an audience member was visibly triggered over a Labour shadow secretary for justice Richard Burgon's party pledge to raise taxes.
But the audience member's rant was not so well-received on Twitter after revealing he earned £80,000 a year, where he slammed Labour's pledge to tax the top 5 percent of across Britain.
According to Labour's plans, a 45 percent rate on earnings over £80k would the audience member an extra £4.81 per week.
But the man continued ranting, stating that he wanted to "call Labour out as liars".
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) November 21, 2019
He said: "I am one of them people he will tax more and I am nowhere near in the top five so I am calling you a liar. That 5% is a lie, I am nowhere near that and you are going to tax me as an employee.
He added: "You are not going after the billionaires, you are going after the employees because it's easy money and I have no choice because its PAYE."
Richard Burgon responded, stating that the man was "mistaken" for thinking Labour would raise income taxes on earners below the 5 percent threshold.
According to government figures, the man would be placed in the 5 percent of taxpayers across the UK if he earned £80k before taxes, and would pay a further £50 for every £1,000 earned over that amount.
— BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) November 21, 2019
But the man continued, shouting: "You are - I have read your policy and it's above £80,000. I am nowhere near the top 5% - I'm not even in the top 50%.
BBC Question Time hostess Fiona Bruce interrupted to confirm his earnings, replying: "I think that is in the top 5%.
But the audience member slammed her response, stating that the "top 5% don't even work because they're rich" and blasted doctors and solicitors as professions requiring more taxes.
A flurry of comments were posted on Twitter, with many pointing out the angry man's allegedly prepared responses.
— David Soulsby (@DavidSoulsby11) November 22, 2019
One man came to the wealthy audience member's defence, stating that commentators failed to understand that business owners pay less in capital gains and corporation taxes, and that employees should not be targeted.
— Luke McCann (@lukejfmccann) November 22, 2019
Another ranted back, stating that there were "opinions, and then there are simple facts" that those earning more than £75,300 per year were top 5 percent earners.
"You could have simply pointed out to the guy that he was mistaken," he said.
— Richard Rickwood (@rickwookie) November 21, 2019
The BBC was also tossed into the crossfire as some called into question the news service's 'impartiality'.
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) November 22, 2019
The comments come the same day as Labour's manifesto launch, with revealed the party's ambitious plans to "rewrite the rules of the economy, so that it works for everyone", Labour and opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn wrote. The manifesto launch follows a televised debate between Corbyn and UK prime minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson, where both sides exchanged quips and discussed their Brexit-era policies on a moderated platform, despite a second debate being cancelled due to the British PM's absence.
