...says John Cleese

He once campaigned for income tax to be higher –  but now John Cleese says tax is too high and he can’t afford to live in Britain.

Part of the reason is his £12million divorce from third wife Alyce Faye Eichelberger, whom he has to pay £600,000 a year.

But Cleese, who once campaigned for Liberal Democrat plans to put an extra penny on income tax to go into education, now says: ‘Tax is too high in Europe.

‘I can’t afford to live in Britain. I would have to earn around £6million before I kept a penny. So the question is where do I go? Liechtenstein?’

In the Daily Express – likely to be a sympathetic audience – the 71-year-old said he was contemplating a move to Australia as the UK was going to the dogs.

He said: ‘I grew up in a country of decency and respect for education and there was wonderful television drama. Now there is rubbish, a general level of dishonesty and trivialising.The culture I used to admire is deteriorating in Britain.’

However Cleese, who until his divorce lived in California, may not find the tax regime in Australia, home to such 'wonderful television drama' as Home And Away, to his liking. Top tax rate there is 45 per cent – compared to Britain's 40 per cent – plus an extra 1.5 per cent towards health care.

Meanwhile Rory Bremner has also taken a swipe at Britain, saying it’s not an ‘intelligent’ nation.

In an interview with Irish newspaper Sunday World, he said: ‘I genuinely love Ireland. Unlike Britain, it's a highly intelligent and literary country.’

Published: 4 Jul 2011