Is it OK to break the law if you are a Tory?

Germanshepherdsmum

Your first paragraph isn’t very pleasant Fleurpepper. We are not all the same and cheats can be found in all walks of life and political persuasions. So easy to tar everyone with the same brush though isn’t it?

I would have thought all those honest tax paying Tories should be ther first to complain to their MPs and the Government- so that no-one is tempted to tar all with same brush. No?

I am sure you know that there is a very fine line between tax avoidance and tax evasion, and that the line can be very cleverly manipulated by an excellent accountant.

In this case though- it is clear as a bell, and Zawahi must resign.

I know very well the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. I have indulged in neither. One is legal, the other not. Neither is the exclusive province of anybody of a particular political persuasion. I have no problem with anybody indulging in legal tax avoidance though - it is up to the government of the day to close such loopholes as there may be. And that has been happening, but accountants and tax lawyers are clever people. New loopholes appear frequently.

Fancy that Dan Neidle wow amazing 🤩 he’s a prominent member of the Labour Party and I think went to the local primary school! He’s a very smart cookie 🍪

No-one, but no-one has accused you GSM!

As said, I know that that fine line can be very fine, and moved around a bit (quite a bit).

I know I haven't been accused! But some people, if I dare use those words, seem to think this may be peculiar to Conservatives as they are perceived as having money. Ergo the heading.

Well, there is some logical truth in there! Think about it.

I know very few people who vote Labour or Green who have fortues large enough to warrant paying very expensive Tax Accountants to find ways to avoid or evade. Do you?

On the other hand ... yes, I do. Many.

So it seems that old those honest non fiddling Tories should be the first to denounce Zawahi and others who give them all a bad name. NO?

Dan Neidle was previously head of tax at Clifford Chance and knows an awful lot about the subject. Such a clever family.

Cheat the government out of a few thousand through benefit fraud and you're likely to feel the full weight of law upon you. But when it comes to tax evasion amounting to millions (or 'conning' them out of similar amounts for non-existent PPE schemes), you're likely to be rewarded with a peerage.

Perhaps we could do a list, and compare the 'fortunes' of Tory Ministers and Labour Shadow Ministers ;)

shall we?

If we did that Fleurpepper I think we all know what we’d find!
Clue, it wouldn’t be the Labour Shadow Ministers.😁

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Far be it from me to defend the Tories, but why is is relevant that he is an Iraqi Kurd, Katie59?

why is is it

"Zahawi is an Iraqi Kurd and is a very dodgy character, if he didn’t declare everything correctly it was tax evasion. "

Katie, to me that comes across as an openly racist remark. Not on. Basically it suggests that his dodgyness is due to his country and culture of origin.

...and its gone...

Not me, folks.

if you are a tory

or if you are a police officer judging by news today

I think what was previously unchallenged - tax dodging on huge scale -is increasingly being seen as unacceptable, especially by people holding positions of power when there is so much poverty, need, food banks, desperate NHS and Care system and so on.

It certainly is for me, and I hope we get changes in the law which make this impossible.

Read up on Zahawi’s business dealings , it makes Johnson seem like a saint

Oreo

If we did that Fleurpepper I think we all know what we’d find!
Clue, it wouldn’t be the Labour Shadow Ministers.😁

shhhttt - how do you know, hey!

Come on, I really want to see those figures

Katie59

Read up on Zahawi’s business dealings , it makes Johnson seem like a saint

Er - no, it doesn’t.

I think that there should be far more transparency about politicians, and that there should be publicly available records of their wealth, any convictions, whether they use or have used private medicine or education (for themselves or their families), as well as any companies in which they or members of their family hold an interest, and of anyone who has given them money for any reason whilst in office.

Voters and politicians on both sides, as well as law enforcement agencies can decide whether and how much these things matter, and there would be fewer accusations of impropriety and opportunities for blackmail.

Casdon

Katie59

Read up on Zahawi’s business dealings , it makes Johnson seem like a saint

Er - no, it doesn’t.

Could any politician be worse than Boris Johnson? I mean in just any way?

Well there is a list on wikipedia of those politicians who served prison time. I ignored the ones from the 1800's but by my reckoning labour had the most. Someone should probably check as I did it very half heartedly.

Galaxy

Well there is a list on wikipedia of those politicians who served prison time. I ignored the ones from the 1800's but by my reckoning labour had the most. Someone should probably check as I did it very half heartedly.

....and the relevance of early Labour Party activists who might well have taken part in demonstrations and been persecuted/arrested for it matters how?