I totally agree with you, ‘It's all within the rules,’ we keep on being told, but that doesn’t make it moral. Only a lawyer would equate being within the rules to being ethically right, from the outside looking in it looks just like good old fashioned corruption to me. It makes my blood boil and I wonder if these gifts are tax deductible in which case their donors haven't paid for them at all, the British pubic have!
What is most egregious about what you call Starmer’s “personal tax loophole” is that it ain’t a loophole. A loophole is an unintended opportunity to save tax invariably caused by poor drafting of over complex legislation which people, not surprisingly, take advantage of in ways HMRC never intended. And who can blame them? In Starmer’s case the personal tax saving for Starmer alone was precisely the intention of the legislation, not an accidental by-product!
As it happens this personal law is now a Nothing Burger as it simply exempted Starmer from the effect of the Pensions Lifetime Allowance, ie paying tax on the value of a pension pot above the allowance. As the LTA doesn’t exist any longer Starmer’s arrangement no longer puts him in a different position from everyone else. But I wholeheartedly agree that the scandal is that such an arrangement was ever granted.
Barely coherent? You're being very kind to Mr Lammy. I never thought we'd have someone in one of the major Offices of State who makes Matt Hancock look competent......
Brilliant article. We are all disgusted at the behaviour of our new government and who isn’t still angry at the Tory Party’s ineptitude for getting us into this mess. We are now going to be subjected to years of socialism, out of control public sector wage rises, business growth constricted by more and more regulations, restrictions of personal freedoms regarding pub hours and tobacco sales. And whilst all that is being forced upon us, we have to watch Starmer, his wife and cabinet shamelessly strutt around in all their new clothes and enjoying the other freebies heaped upon them whilst removing the Winter Fuel Allowance from pensioners. It beggars belief!
Bring back Boris. Now THERE was man of integrity and standards. HE never accepted anything from anyone, least of all the owner of JCB. Or at least Sunak, literally richer than the King but not, amazingly, a member of the “elite”.
I totally agree with you, ‘It's all within the rules,’ we keep on being told, but that doesn’t make it moral. Only a lawyer would equate being within the rules to being ethically right, from the outside looking in it looks just like good old fashioned corruption to me. It makes my blood boil and I wonder if these gifts are tax deductible in which case their donors haven't paid for them at all, the British pubic have!
You may be interested in my own take on this: https://substack.com/home/post/p-148973194
What is most egregious about what you call Starmer’s “personal tax loophole” is that it ain’t a loophole. A loophole is an unintended opportunity to save tax invariably caused by poor drafting of over complex legislation which people, not surprisingly, take advantage of in ways HMRC never intended. And who can blame them? In Starmer’s case the personal tax saving for Starmer alone was precisely the intention of the legislation, not an accidental by-product!
As it happens this personal law is now a Nothing Burger as it simply exempted Starmer from the effect of the Pensions Lifetime Allowance, ie paying tax on the value of a pension pot above the allowance. As the LTA doesn’t exist any longer Starmer’s arrangement no longer puts him in a different position from everyone else. But I wholeheartedly agree that the scandal is that such an arrangement was ever granted.
Great article, Fergus. To pick a nit, it's Lady Starmer, not Lady Victoria, unless she's the daughter of a duke, which seems unlikely.
Well spotted, thanks!
That would be Lady Sponge then!
Barely coherent? You're being very kind to Mr Lammy. I never thought we'd have someone in one of the major Offices of State who makes Matt Hancock look competent......
Brilliant article.
Brilliant article. We are all disgusted at the behaviour of our new government and who isn’t still angry at the Tory Party’s ineptitude for getting us into this mess. We are now going to be subjected to years of socialism, out of control public sector wage rises, business growth constricted by more and more regulations, restrictions of personal freedoms regarding pub hours and tobacco sales. And whilst all that is being forced upon us, we have to watch Starmer, his wife and cabinet shamelessly strutt around in all their new clothes and enjoying the other freebies heaped upon them whilst removing the Winter Fuel Allowance from pensioners. It beggars belief!
Bring back Boris. Now THERE was man of integrity and standards. HE never accepted anything from anyone, least of all the owner of JCB. Or at least Sunak, literally richer than the King but not, amazingly, a member of the “elite”.