In todays news...

[Mussels]

Is any of this genuine lawbreaking or is it yet another example of the filthy rich paying clever people to exercise their right to 'work within the rules' ?

I doubt Blair was breaking the law but his claim that he didn't do it to dodge tax and the seller insisted on that sale method smells more than a bit. He may be right about his claim that it will get clobbered by CGT instead but that kicks the tax can way down the road.

Mr Blair has previously been critical of tax loopholes. In his campaign for the Labour leadership in 1994, he said: “We must tackle abuse of the tax system. For those who can employ the right accountants, the tax system is a haven of scams, perks, City deals and profits."

[DefTrap]

If it's "only" tax avoidance then I'm not sure I'm that bothered, especially for such dead-heads as long-ex PMs. Is it really worth bashing Blair more if the "war crimes" thing didn't stick?

If it was someone who's a current player on the political scene then I guess you could have more fun with it. Or a British Royal, something like that.

[MrLongbeard]

Hold on lads, I've got an idea;



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58780954

[Yambo]

For the UK, the Pandora Papers will be feeding the politics of envy crowd.

Further afield, I think it'll be an eye opener for a lot of people to see how corrupt their 'leaders' are. Of course, in a lot of those other countries the people won't be able to find out directly because the 'leaders' will probably control the press as well.

[DefTrap]

The voters should be aware of these things, otherwise they're stuck with Tories being rich scum and the Labour party being working men who are their friend - yes some people are stupid enough to believe that.

Of course people are stupid. Corbyn was about as down-to-earth as you can get when it comes to working MPs and Party Leaders - correctly lambasted as being a bit of a tit though, chalked up as a Marxist (!), also somewhat ifilly as an anti-semite. Overall demonised as a monster, other than by the party faithful. (I'm not in any way a defender of Corbyn. He's possible a nice guy but he was the most useless Labour Leader almost ever, a gift to the Tories, how he wasn't even worse for the Labour Party I still find astounding.)

I struggle to recall -any- suggestions of Corbyn and "accusations of financial wrongdoings", either I missed it, or he genuinely didn't or it comes pretty far down the list.
I'm guessing the latter - folk aren't really that bothered unless there's nothing else to gossip about.

[Yambo]

The voters should be aware of these things, otherwise they're stuck with Tories being rich scum and the Labour party being working men who are their friend - yes some people are stupid enough to believe that.

Of course people are stupid. Corbyn was about as down-to-earth as you can get when it comes to working MPs and Party Leaders - correctly lambasted as being a bit of a tit though, chalked up as a Marxist (!), also somewhat ifilly as an anti-semite. Overall demonised as a monster, other than by the party faithful. (I'm not in any way a defender of Corbyn. He's possible a nice guy but he was the most useless Labour Leader almost ever, a gift to the Tories, how he wasn't even worse for the Labour Party I still find astounding.)

I struggle to recall -any- suggestions of Corbyn and "accusations of financial wrongdoings", either I missed it, or he genuinely didn't or it comes pretty far down the list.
I'm guessing the latter - folk aren't really that bothered unless there's nothing else to gossip about.

Jeremy Corbyn net worth.

https://www.spearswms.com/jeremy-corbyn-net-worth/

I have no idea how accurate that report is but when the current and last leaders of the Labour party are millionaires it's going to leave just a bit of a nasty taste in some working men's mouths.

[gremlin]

Hold on lads, I've got an idea;



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58780954

"Signwriters Bruce and Amelia Isaac were working in the back of the van on the promenade at Westward Ho! in north Devon when they felt the vehicle move."

The old 'Working on signs in the back of the van' explanation, eh?

I bet.....

[DefTrap]

Jeremy Corbyn net worth.

https://www.spearswms.com/jeremy-corbyn-net-worth/

I have no idea how accurate that report is but when the current and last leaders of the Labour party are millionaires it's going to leave just a bit of a nasty taste in some working men's mouths.

"Having some money" <> "financial wrongdoing".
It's the last resort of the Right to go down the champagne socialist route.

Plenty of "working men" voted for the king-of-spaffing-it-up Boris Johnson in the last election, apparently, so they're possibly not as honourable as they might think they are. Or at least only when it suits them?

[gremlin]

If we're all honest with ourselves, none of us volunteer to pay more tax than we need to*. These people are just doing it on a bigger scale, using more imaginative methods. If there are loopholes, it's up to the relevant tax authority to close them.

Although embezzling funds on a mahoosive scale and robbing your citizens blind is taking the piss a bit, maybe.


*Mrs Gremlin pays her and her business partner a salary small enough to under the tax threshold and the rest in dividends each month and at year end, in order to pay less tax. Ditto a fair chunk of the P&L goes into their pensions for the same reason, both personal and corporation tax. Why wouldn't she?

[Mr. Dazzle]

What kind of tin pot glorious leader doesn't embezzle millions? That's amateur stuff that is.

[gremlin]

What kind of tin pot glorious leader doesn't embezzle millions? That's amateur stuff that is.

I'd be at that buffet with a fucking big plate.

And medals. I'd award myself medals enough to make this goon seem like a private in the Pioneer Corp.

[slowsider]

I have no idea how accurate that report is but when the current and last leaders of the Labour party are millionaires it's going to leave just a bit of a nasty taste in some working men's mouths.

Really ?? Surely a swig of brown ale after their sandwiches will take the taste away.

You could equally well argue that millionaires are less susceptible to corruption than working-man-made-good.

[slowsider]

What kind of tin pot glorious leader doesn't embezzle millions? That's amateur stuff that is.

I'd be at that buffet with a fucking big plate.

Keep moving if you go to a buffet with him

[McNab]

Quite frankly I'm surprised that anyone believes politicians aren't fucking us all over whilst lining their own pockets by gaming the system. And that twat Blair is the least surprising one of all.

[Saga Lout]

I'm surprised Corbyn is only worth £3 million. He's been an MP for 30 (ish) years getting paid twice as much as the average person. My house out in the sticks is worth a quarter of a million. He owns a house in London, doesn't he? Of course he's a millionaire

[MrLongbeard]

Won't be long before one of the Insulate Britain nutters is martyred for their cause;

https://metro-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/ ... m=referral

[Count Steer]

I'm surprised Corbyn is only worth £3 million. He's been an MP for 30 (ish) years getting paid twice as much as the average person. My house out in the sticks is worth a quarter of a million. He owns a house in London, doesn't he? Of course he's a millionaire

Our old 2 bed flat in NW3 is 'worth' £975k (one on the floor below is up for sale at that) - unfortunately the places we've had since we left 30 years ago haven't quite kept pace with it (it cost us £35k). His place must be worth at least half of his net worth and I think he's been in it a v long time.

[gremlin]

Won't be long before one of the Insulate Britain nutters is martyred for their cause;

https://metro-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/ ... m=referral

Under a car, thrown off a bridge or just lynched by a baying mob?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not fussy either way...

[irie]

All this hoo-ha about politicians and others lining their pockets, but nothing about the many thousands of victims of sexual abuse committed by the French Roman Catholic church's priests and other employees.

https://www.politico.eu/article/french- ... ince-1950/

French Catholic Church inquiry uncovers thousands of pedophiles since 1950

An independent inquiry into child abuse in the Catholic Church looks set to shake France as its head said the commission’s research uncovered thousands of pedophiles.

The commission found between 2,900 and 3,200 pedophile church members since 1950 — and that’s a “minimum estimate,” Jean-Marc Sauvé, the head of the enquiry, told AFP ahead of the publication of the findings Tuesday.

Earlier this year, he estimated there could be “at least 10,000” victims.

Absolutely shocking.

[JackyJoll]

All this hoo-ha about politicians and others lining their pockets, but nothing about the many thousands of victims of sexual abuse committed by the French Roman Catholic church's priests and other employees.

Not sure I see the connection.