The Politics Thread

[Harry Genshaw]

I've just been round to Hoboh's and stuck this on his door

They should worry. I came home today to find a feckin BNP leaflet behind the door, proclaiming 'only we will ban the burqa'. Gutted I missed em - I'd have enjoyed throwing it back at the scumbags

[thebish]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Barlow... Cameron... prime tools ....

Couldn't resist: edited for brevity and precision.

[Harry Genshaw]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

"Yes, but he does a lot for charity" is just the modern equivalent of "At least he made the trains run on time" isn't it?

[BWFC_Insane]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

Aye my axe isn't to grind with Barlow per se but more your second point.

Lots of people do a lot for charity. Some people do it alongside actual full time jobs with no recognition at all. It still doesn't mean we'd turn a blind eye to tax avoidance or any other criminal act.

[Beefheart]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

He doesn't seem to have condemned him the way he did Jimmy Carr, for example, but then I guess Jimmy Carr isn't a donor to the Tory Party.

Is he actually saying that doing charity work actually 'offsets' bad stuff? What about Jimmy Saville then?

[Lord Kangana]

I'm guessing that's what that Corden-Barlow propaganda piece was all about. Look at poor Gary. Yes, he avoided a bit of tax, but look how much weight he's lost, and how depressed he was when he was fat! Fab!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Barlow... Cameron... prime tools ....

Couldn't resist: edited for brevity and precision.

[thebish]

Barlow... Cameron... prime tools ....

Couldn't resist: edited for brevity and precision.

[thebish]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

Aye my axe isn't to grind with Barlow per se but more your second point.

Lots of people do a lot for charity. Some people do it alongside actual full time jobs with no recognition at all. It still doesn't mean we'd turn a blind eye to tax avoidance or any other criminal act.

tax avoidance isn't a criminal act....

[Lord Kangana]

Is it civil now bish?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

It's neither it is entirely legal

[Lord Kangana]

I've just checked, it's discretionary on the part of HMRC, depending on the size and seriousness of the case.

[Prufrock]

Avoidance and evasion aren't the same thing. Evasion is illegal, avoidance is legal.

[Lord Kangana]

Apologies. yes, I knew that, I misread what BWFCi had written. I fear we're heading down another pedantic dead-end. I'm sure we know what he meant, I'm sure he meant evasion.

[Bruce Rioja]

there are bigger baddies than Barlow...

but - it does irritate me when Cameron kinda justifies his tax-avoidance by saying that gary has done a lot for charity... call me cynical - but "doing stuff for charity" is one of the prime tools that celebrities have for self-promotion....

Aye my axe isn't to grind with Barlow per se but more your second point.

Lots of people do a lot for charity. Some people do it alongside actual full time jobs with no recognition at all. It still doesn't mean we'd turn a blind eye to tax avoidance or any other criminal act.

Are you sure he's committed a criminal act? Tax avoidance and tax evasion aren't the same thing, you know? (In fact, I'm bloody sure that you do know that but it doesn't suit you in this instance )

[Lord Kangana]

The difference between the two is semantics anyway. Most people can't even begin to understand the blurred lines that exist in our tax legislation. Its very far from black and white.

[Beefheart]

The difference between the two is semantics anyway. Most people can't even begin to understand the blurred lines that exist in our tax legislation. Its very far from black and white.

The different between the two isn't entirely semantics, at one end of the spectrum you have putting your money in an ISA, which still meets the definition of tax avoidance. The other end of the spectrum is the 'not declaring all of your income' sort of thing. You then have a very blurred middle, whereby you try and get away without paying tax and then if the courts ultimately decide you're wrong then you pay the tax.

I've been in meeting with the tax guys occasionaly and it is almost a matter of them going to the client and saying 'We think you have an x% chance of not paying tax' through whatever approach.

I notice Amazon are the scapegoats for this once again, with misleading '£x Tax on £xbn Revenue' headlines. (Not that I think what they do is right, I just think it's much more widespread)

[BWFC_Insane]

I made an error. Sorry.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I made an error. Sorry.

Nope. I still want you to hand in your OBE, Insano.