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

Nannan2

It probably IS all the tories though...well most of them anyway, because they're brought up all posh and have money & are entitled and are already aware of this way of life and its easy enough to repeat it allover again isnt it? Then they go into politics and well its there for the taking. So MOST of them will do i imgine..not ALL- but most of them will be,where they can.We only have to look at the last 3 yrs for evidence of all this..🙄

Douglas Ross; father was a cattleman and he himself went to College to study agriculture.

David Duguid: Worked as an engineer at BP.

Annie Wells, MSP: Worked in M&S shops in Glasgow.

Not all Tories were born with a silver spoon. I have lots of reasons to dislike them but being "posh" isn't one of them.

You’ve investigated the education and upbringing each of them had then? No, I thought not.

The tory MP's think they can do & say whatever they like these days as theyve had such a shining example in Boris in my opinion.😂

It probably IS all the tories though...well most of them anyway, because they're brought up all posh and have money & are entitled and are already aware of this way of life and its easy enough to repeat it allover again isnt it? Then they go into politics and well its there for the taking. So MOST of them will do i imgine..not ALL- but most of them will be,where they can.We only have to look at the last 3 yrs for evidence of all this..🙄

MaizieD that’s good sleuthing. I wish my brother was still alive as he could have explained it. I think you are making sense!

Hard to find concrete information, but try this elderly article (it's not dated, but clearly written between 2016 - 2021)

Some quotes:

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) was created in 2005 by the merger of the Inland Revenue and Her Majesty’s Customs and Excise. The newly formed HMRC had around 104,000 staff. In 2017 the headcount in HMRC stands at approximately 58,000, but under proposals ironically titled “Building Our Future” they intend to cut thousands more jobs by 2021.

HMRC’s budget after years of systematic cuts was 40% less in 2016 than in 2000.

For more than a decade HMRC has faced year on year cuts to funding at the same time as ongoing internal re-organisations. Together these have led to a situation where HMRC has been variously described as a government department in “crisis” and “not fit for purpose”.

Staff morale is so low that even in areas where HMRC is not seeking to cut jobs, experienced staff are leaving in droves, worn down by years of pointless “change management” and relocations that never lead to better efficiencies, either cost-wise or service-wise. This is set against a backdrop of a tax code of more than 16,000 pages, a tax gap of approximately £119bn (see below) and a complete dismantling of face- to-face services to the public.

www.taxjustice.uk/tax-takes-6.html

There was one in the financial Times that looked promising, but behind a pay wall. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get a digital subscription. I think.

Because of cuts in staff and funding HMRC is consistently failing to collect £30 - 40 billion of tax each year. That's the government's own estimates. Check out 'The Tax Gap'

She did indeed Norah.

Norah yes she has givenup her non-dom status.

GoldenAge

What Fleurpepper said was absolutely clear - she spoke in the context of Tories in government, and referred to 'so many of them' being guilty - not all of them. Seems clear to me what she's saying, and more to the point seems also accurate given the mountain of evidence we have of tax evasion - past or present - I rest my case with the PM's wife.

As for good and bad in all walks of life - yes, true statement, but it's a question of balance - more good than bad in certain areas and vice versa - unfortunately the amount of privilege in the Tory government exceeds that in many other walks of life - check out the type of education received by Tory MPs as just one indicator.

The PM wife lawfully avoided. Legally.

Vote to change the tax laws, but now is now.

I thought she gave up her status and will now be paying?

The PM’s wife was not guilty of tax evasion. Please explain the ‘mountain of evidence of tax evasion’. I don’t think you know the difference between evasion and avoidance. It’s a very important one.

What Fleurpepper said was absolutely clear - she spoke in the context of Tories in government, and referred to 'so many of them' being guilty - not all of them. Seems clear to me what she's saying, and more to the point seems also accurate given the mountain of evidence we have of tax evasion - past or present - I rest my case with the PM's wife.

As for good and bad in all walks of life - yes, true statement, but it's a question of balance - more good than bad in certain areas and vice versa - unfortunately the amount of privilege in the Tory government exceeds that in many other walks of life - check out the type of education received by Tory MPs as just one indicator.

Newdawn

Johnson set this very low bar. Although there are some Labour MPs I dislike, I am looking forward to a Labour govt

And soon we can all be reading about the Boris Johnson era as pm. I don’t know if it’s going to be published under his Genius of series, Genius of William Shakespeare which has a delay in delivery of manuscript.

MaizieD do you have any figures at your disposal te funding for Inland Revenue because it sounds like an own goal not to have a good and effective tax collection system.

ronib

MaizieD Inland Revenue has different bands of tax inspectors I think and areas of expertise. My brother used to enjoy using his warrant card on dawn raids but I don’t think he covered the area of tax law which interested Dan Neidle and tax havens etc. It’s a very complex and changing area as I understand it.

I know it does. But that doesn't do anything about shortage of funding, does it?

Johnson set this very low bar. Although there are some Labour MPs I dislike, I am looking forward to a Labour govt

MaizieD Inland Revenue has different bands of tax inspectors I think and areas of expertise. My brother used to enjoy using his warrant card on dawn raids but I don’t think he covered the area of tax law which interested Dan Neidle and tax havens etc. It’s a very complex and changing area as I understand it.

ronib

volver

I'm sorry, I know I'm in no position to laugh, but when the arguments are "You hate the rich" and "Tax Inspectors are really busy so they don't need more work", I don't think those are valid arguments.

Scotland has its own tax inspectors. The English ones are really over worked.

The English tax inspectors are really overworked because the tories have cut funding to them over the past 12 years.

If the state wants an effective tax inspectorate it has to pay for it.

zahawi got caught that's all,how many don't get caught,the majority is my guess? Benefit fraud ,2 billion, corporate fraud 200 billion and rising? who are the real crooks?

ronib

Volver sorry couldn’t resist going to fairy land or wherever it was you last accused me. Yup Scottish tax rates do vary and are centrally Uk controlled.

Scottish tax rates vary?

Why has nobody told me this before?!?!?

🤦🏼(again.)

Fleurpepper I don’t know I’m still away with the fairies… they make more sense to me at the moment! Good luck with your discussions.

ronib

volver

I'm sorry, I know I'm in no position to laugh, but when the arguments are "You hate the rich" and "Tax Inspectors are really busy so they don't need more work", I don't think those are valid arguments.

Scotland has its own tax inspectors. The English ones are really over worked.

Could it (just by chance !) be very intentional???

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

How true!
Easy to catch the small fry as they do not have supporters in government.

Agree with Fleurpepper that the system seems to be the issue. We have a system which has led to ever increasing inequality, with immoral differences in salaries between the lowest and highest paid ( including those who have built up a successful business). We should not have people in full time employment who need to rely on benefits to cover essential costs ( extra support for those with health or mobility issues should still be provided where needed and is a separate issue).
It certainly often appears that the very rich can "get away with" behaviour which is unacceptable by hiring the best accountants and lawyers and "coming to agreements" about what tax they will pay, for example.
Ordinary folk ( eg postmasters, small businesses accused of paying wrong amount of VAT) can be jailed, lose everything, or face massive fines following less serious or false accusations. Is it unrealistic to expect that those elected to represent their constituents and paid a pretty good basic salary to do so, would be the sort of people who would contribute at least the tax they legally owe and would take their job seriously enough not to take on several other "jobs/roles/directorships" in addition?

That’s funny, I always thought that the BBC was very leftist and biased in that direction!

Volver sorry couldn’t resist going to fairy land or wherever it was you last accused me. Yup Scottish tax rates do vary and are centrally Uk controlled.