Chaos over Labour 's plan to target wealthy foreigners has left even Ed Miliband 's own family baffled . Mike Keen , the Labour leader 's cousin , said he was 'officially confused ' over whether or not the party was actually promising to scrap non-dom rules . Mr Miliband used a speech yesterday to say he would 'abolish ' the 200-year-old rule for non-doms , but in January Ed Balls said it would cost the country money . Mike Keen , the Labour leader 's cousin , said he was 'officially confused ' over whether or not the Ed Miliband was actually promising to scrap non-dom rules . Mr Keen posted on his public Facebook page that he needed someone to explain to him just what the Labour policy was . Non-domicile status allows people living and working in Britain to only pay tax on their UK income , but not earnings from overseas . They must prove that they regard a foreign country as their real home . But Mr Miliband argues that non-dom tests 'are not very rigorous ' and can be granted to people who have a burial plot or property abroad . Newspaper reports suggested that non-dom rules would be scrapped by Labour altogether . But it emerged Labour would allow 'real temporary residents ' to take advantage of the rules - with the time limit to be consulted on should they take power in the General Election on May 7 . In a speech in Warwick yesterday , Mr Miliband said that everyone who has made Britain their permanent home should pay full UK tax on all their income and gains . 'It is not fair . It is not just . It holds Britain back . We will stop it . The next Labour government will abolish the non-dom rule , ' he said . He was backed by Mr Balls , the shadow chancellor , who told BBC Radio 5 Live : 'We 're going to change it , abolish it and it will raise a lot of money . ' But it emerged in a January interview Mr Balls said : ' I think if you abolished the whole status then probably it ends up costing Britain money because there will be some people who will then leave the country . ' The contradiction was seized on by the Conservatives , who produced an internet graphic showing Mr Balls ' two quotes . Mr Keen , a retired GP , posted the image to his Facebook page , adding : 'Can someone explain this to me please , I am now officially confused . ' In January shadow chancellor Ed Balls warned : ' I think if you abolished the whole status then probably it ends up costing Britain money because there will be some people who will then leave the country . ' A friend suggested he 'ask a certain member of your family I am sure he will give you chapter and verse on it and invite him into the group I am sure we wo n't abuse him to much ' . Mr Keen asked his friends on the site : 'What would you say to my lil cuz if he were on here ? ' Announcing the policy , Labour aides suggested the change in the rules , which date back to the 18th century , would raise as much as £1billion . But tax advisers immediately disputed this , saying driving non-doms away would in fact cost the Treasury significant sums . With non-doms paying around £8billion in tax and national insurance a year , it is claimed that Labour 's proposal could in fact create a huge hole in Treasury coffers . Last year Mr Keen declined to say if he was planning to vote for his cousin . He told the Sunday Times : 'Ed 's my cousin and I have known him all my life . That 's all I can say . I do n't talk about politics on the doorstep . ' And he suggested that voters think David Miliband would have made a better Prime Minister . He said : 'The people out there will say David would have made a really good prime minister . That 's the general feeling out there . People do n't take the piss out of him . They would n't dare . People would n't take the piss out of Dave . '
Mike Keen claimed he was ' officially confused ' in public Facebook posts . ben Miliband vowed to ' abolish ' the 200-year - old residency rule for non - doms . But Ed ##en announced in 2017 it would cost the government money .