Gary Stevenson, the former City trader turned wealth tax campaigner, has announced he is quitting the weekly YouTube channel that made his name, citing health concerns and tiredness. The announcement follows a mixed reception to a recent Channel 4 documentary that brought him wider attention but drew criticism from both left-leaning tax experts and rightwing commentators, some of whom accused him of being outmatched in debate by his interviewees.

Stevenson's Gary's Economics channel, which grew to 1.64 million subscribers after taking off during the Covid pandemic, will end its weekly format after an 18-minute signoff video posted on social media. He has campaigned for a 2% tax on individual wealth over £10m, arguing it could raise £24bn a year, and his proposals have gained political traction as prime minister Andy Burnham faces growing calls to tax the ultra-rich, including a recent open letter from 120 millionaires, among them Gary Lineker, supporting higher taxes on wealth.