The politician previously backed restoring the 50p top rate of income tax as Andy Burnham prepares to enter Downing Street

Shabana Mahmood, who is widely regarded as Andy Burnham's preferred choice for chancellor, previously backed restoring the 50p additional rate of income tax.

Her past comments have resurfaced as the incoming Prime Minister prepares to enter Downing Street.

During a House of Commons debate in 2014, Ms Mahmood said it was "unfair and wrong" for the Conservatives to reduce the additional rate of income tax from 50p to 45p.

The former shadow Treasury minister said: "It would be right for the next Labour Government to raise it to 50p again."

She also argued there was "no justification for giving a huge tax cut to the richest in our country", adding that "ordinary working people" had paid the price.

The remarks have drawn renewed attention after Mr Burnham said this week he "may have to ask for a little more" from taxpayers.

Reintroducing a 50p additional rate would breach Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase National Insurance, VAT or the basic, higher or additional rates of income tax.

However, Labour's manifesto stated the pledge applied to "working people", leaving questions over whether any future changes could affect those whose income is primarily derived from property, investments or dividends.

Another option available to ministers would be reducing the £125,140 threshold at which the additional rate of income tax begins.

Labour has previously faced questions over how it defines a "working person".

Sir Keir Starmer previously suggested it referred to someone who could not "write a cheque to get out of difficulty", while Rachel Reeves described working people as "those who go out to work".

The Conservatives criticised the prospect of future tax rises following reports that Ms Mahmood could become chancellor.

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride urged Mr Burnham and Ms Mahmood to learn from what he described as "Rachel Reeves's disastrous economic incompetence", warning that "Britain cannot afford yet more tax".

Sir Mel added: "Andy Burnham isn't even PM yet and he is already saying he might 'ask for a little more' tax. His reported pick as chancellor also has a long record of calling for tax hikes."

He accused Labour of "tax, spend and borrow profligacy" and making "broken promises".

Reform UK's shadow chancellor Robert Jenrick also criticised the prospect of higher taxes.

Mr Jenrick said: "Andy Burnham has backed billions in tax rises. Shabana Mahmood has backed billions more."

He added that families could face paying thousands of pounds more in tax under a Burnham Government despite having no "democratic mandate to raise them by a penny".

If the additional rate of income tax returned to 50p, someone earning £150,000 a year would pay an extra £1,240 in tax annually.

A taxpayer earning £200,000 a year would pay an additional £3,740.

The number of additional-rate taxpayers has risen sharply in recent years following successive freezes and reductions in tax thresholds.

The number has increased from around 430,000 in 2021 to more than one million.

Additional-rate taxpayers now account for around three per cent of all taxpayers across Britain and almost seven per cent in London.

Collectively, they pay around 40 per cent of all income tax receipts.

When Gordon Brown introduced the 50p additional rate in 2010, the Treasury estimated it would raise around £2.5billion a year, although a larger number of higher-rate taxpayers could increase the amount raised if the policy were introduced today.