Jeremy Corbyn’s claim that many people want to pay “more tax” to clear the national debt or fund public services has been undermined by official figures.

Figures disclosed by the Government show that just 15 taxpayers made financial gifts worth less than £200,000 to the Government over the past two years.

The Labour leader said in 2015 that “many well-off people I speak to, in Islington and around the country, would be quite happy to pay more tax to fund better public services or to pay down our debts”.

He added that “opinion polls bear this out - better off people are no less likely to support higher taxes”.

Typically cash which is gifted or bequeathed to the Government is channelled through the Government’s Debt Management Office.