Another day, another Tory scandal....

A couple of things whilst this thread is trending.

1. Sunak said he would publish his tax return 2months ago.

It is yet to materialise.

2. The UK government has been asked by the European Court of Human Rights to respond to a number of ‘credible allegations’ of alleged Russian interference in the Brexit referendum.

The deadline is 23 April 2023. Maybe a factor in the Tories wanting to withdraw from a U.K. created institution?

What exactly does Liam Fox do to deserve £1000 per hour?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/26/liam-fox-lobbied-pm-rishi-sunak-global-britain-commission

The Tories are running true to form with rampant sleaze. See Polly Toynbee for an update! See

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/23/nadhim-zahawi-rishi-sunak-boris-johnson-plutocrat-tax-error-tory?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

When will Zahawi be making the obligatory trip to Zelenski?Johnson has been yet again.

Tax fraud cost the Treasury an estimated £20bn in 2018/19 – 9x more than benefits fraud (£2.2bn)

DWP employs 3.5x more staff in compliance than HMRC (adjusted for size of tax and benefits gaps)

Over the past 11 years there have been 85,745 criminal prosecutions for benefits crimes, 23x more prosecutions than for tax crime of all types (3,665)

8.5x more suspended or immediate custodial sentences have been handed down for benefits crime vs tax crime over the last 11 years

The number of criminal prosecutions relating to tax crime of all kinds have decreased by 39% since 2015

The number of live criminal investigations into serious and complex tax crime has increased from 50 to 400 between 2015 and 2020

www.taxwatchuk.org/tax_crime_vs_benefits_crime/

Zahawi reached an agreement with HMRC when he was chancellor. He was their boss only for 62 days, and probably the only thing of note he achieved.

Who doesn’t do what their boss tells them?

Maybe investigating MP's tax returns would solve the national debt?

Who paid for Johnson’s self promoting trip to Ukraine? I bet it was us tax payers since he never seems to pay for anything himself. What was the £800,000 loan for anyway?

Dinahmo - just a minor point: MPs are not employees, they are legally office holders.

I hope that HMRC are looking at Moggs tax affairs.

He is another one who obtains “loans” from overseas businesses.

oreothat really is defending the indefensible
I m afraid most of them are thieves and liars on all sorts of scams and fingers in pies while the rest of us darent even put a fire on

Grantanow

If Zahawi was 'careless' about a few £million of unpaid tax what was he like when looking after our taxpayers' money as Chancellor? Clearly this level of inattention to detail makes him unfit for any responsible job. Being Chairman of the Tory Party may not be a responsible job for very long.....

I dont keep up with politics as much as I used to.
I was shocked when I learned yesterday that this person is actually Chairman of the Tory Party.
And now I learn he was actually Chancellor.
Beggars belief really.

Sadly though, not surprising nowadays.
I have been a floating voter for years. Last 3 elections I think. I have not been a fan of the 3 biggest partys in more than a decade.

Do they reflect the country as a whole? I would like to think not. But I suspect there is a lot of bad behaviour going on in the Uk that is yet to come to light. More than we think, and are yet aware of sadly.

vegansrock

You would think someone with such millions would employ decent accountants so could not accidentally forget they owed huge amounts of tax. It’s got to have been deliberate. He should resign.

I agree, I can’t imagine him sitting in his garret with his laptop and anglepoise lamp on 31st January scrabbling together all the relevant bits of paper to fill it in before the deadline like normal taxpayers have to somehow.

You would think someone with such millions would employ decent accountants so could not accidentally forget they owed huge amounts of tax. It’s got to have been deliberate. He should resign.

It is now being reported that Richard Sharp bought his position as Head of the BBC by “loaning” Johnson £800000.

Lack of judgement? 😄

Hands up everyone who has accidentally set up an offshore account?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/nov/10/nadhim-zahawi-admits-taxpayers-electricity-stables

I’m surprised the media haven’t referred back a few years when he claimed expenses to heat his stables. Careless? I don’t think so!

Oreo

Much as I’m up for a tory bash 😄these are not scandals.
More like lack of judgements.

It's not a lack of judgement. MPs have known for years what expenses they can claim for. He is taking the proverbial p..s.

I only hope that HMRC are scrutinising MP's tax returns for incorrect expense claims. MPs are employees and, as such should be following the rules for claiming expenses. These rules are that the expenses must be wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred. For anyone that is self employed the word "necessarily" is excluded from the rule.

In the dim and distant past I used to complete tax returns for a few MPS. One of them was known as The B...t of B......r and another was a former Home Secretary M....n R..s. We were scrupulous about what could and could not be claimed for tax purposes.

I bet the wealth team were “advised” as to what action should be taken.

A massive hot potato.

Fraud

Grantanow

If Zahawi was 'careless' about a few £million of unpaid tax what was he like when looking after our taxpayers' money as Chancellor? Clearly this level of inattention to detail makes him unfit for any responsible job. Being Chairman of the Tory Party may not be a responsible job for very long.....

He wasn't 'careless'. He was avoiding paying tax. He denied even receiving any money from the offshore trust. Which was a lie.

If Zahawi was 'careless' about a few £million of unpaid tax what was he like when looking after our taxpayers' money as Chancellor? Clearly this level of inattention to detail makes him unfit for any responsible job. Being Chairman of the Tory Party may not be a responsible job for very long.....

This is the bit of your post I referred to WW2

"Oh the Johnson that had a clandestine meeting with a KGB officer in Italy I assume you mean."

Zoejory

I'm just amazed the silly fool didn't think having a seat belt on might have been a good idea .

It doesn't say much about his judgment, does it?

Which bit of my post are you answering? Only I absolutely agree with you?