I have little difficulties understanding why individuals would wish to take advantage of tax avoidance or other financial juggling opportunities. Although some people may willingly relinquish a large income which may not last long, given the opportunity, I have no doubt I would seek to retain at least most of one.
It is when such individuals decry such activities in others that I am most likely to object, especially when it is done for cheap political grandstanding.
On the corporation level where profits of eight or nine figures or more are being made actions such as by juggling the HQ location, I am less sympathetic; even if I can see the argument for single markets and other international agreements attracting such investment. Even this admission, however, would vanish if a trenchant critic and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee turned-out to be [1] a family member of and registrable shareholder in just such a company.
And, no, whether or not the Prime Minister’s family does similar does not make it go away.
Plus, Starbucks coffee is quite good.
[1] The piece originally linked to here was from today’s edition of the Daily Telegraph, and now has been removed. It related to a letter written by Witham Conservative MP Conservative, Priti (not pronounced “Pretty”) Patel written to Barking Labour MP, Margaret Hodge. Patel questioned Hodge’s suitability for as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.
This Tweet from Hodge gives a clue as to why the piece has been taken down.
