egg

Do you think? US VP is a massive role, but isn't out version pretty much an honorary role unless in an emergency? I'd imagine Lammy's cabinet role wouldn't increase.

It isn't. Foreign Secretary is massively important. Deputy PM does nothing save in the unlikely event that Starmer becomes incapacitated. It's a demotion dressed up as a promotion.

Blimey. Trying to find a positive, he's probably less dangerous there than he is as Foreign Secretary.

Interesting that she's been replaced by a couple of chairs. One way to minimise the risk of further scandal I suppose.

Unsurprisingly, we disagree. Doing the right thing after you've done wrong is all you can do, and she did that. Doesn't alter that she didn't bother taking actual advice when she should have though.

We seemingly didn't bother checking whether any of the businesses could supply what they were to supply. Simple enquiries shouldn't have been hard or time consuming. There was a combination of panic and incompetence, when people want to believe that there was dishonesty as well, I find it hard to argue against it.

Worship

It's complicated when it comes to Trust arrangements. On the face of it, she didn't own another property, but the circumstances around the Trust meant that she had a technical interest. Being the housing minister wouldn't give her that sort of tax knowledge. Re the rest, there's a difference between what Shoosmiths said yesterday and the ethics letter. Shoosmiths were clear that they did not give any advice regarding the SDLT due, just an online figure (information, not advice - an important distinction), with their advice being that she takes Tax advice. The ethics letter refers to Shoosmiths having given "advice", with a "recommendation" and a "suggestion" that she takes advice. Is surprised if that's accurate. She's "guilty by omission" on the ethics letter version, but it looks murkier based on Shoosmiths account. Regardless, she messed up properly and had to go. Credit to her though for the self referral, the (belated) proper advice, and resigning.

She'd be lucky to get enough to buy 2 pints. Although, chances are she'd try to get away with only paying for 1.

Fundamentally disagree. Forget numbers per year, PPE was a rape and pillage exercise that we're all paying for. I ain't paying Rayner's bit of tax. She will.

When we've had PPE type scandals you'll have a point. Until then, we just have a few rogues.

Indeed. Conveyancers always tell clients to get tax advice. They move deeds and money around and register at HMLR. That's it. They don't do tax, although they'll submit the clients SDLT return for them. When Shoosmiths explained the reality, she was toast.

Tax policy is normally set by governments mate. Politics. I'll only respond again to you if you finally taking an interest in the defrauded footballers. If you want to discuss tax policy, start a thread in the lounge, and we can chat away over there, you know, in the right place for it.

Inevitable after Shoosmiths response, essentially suggesting that she was, at best, disingenuous in saying that they advised her. Ultimately she fell on the sword of her stated standards.

This thread, until you turned it political, was about wealthy footballers getting tucked up by shysters. There was empathy from most posters, me included. You though, have done nothing but whine about tax being daylight robbery etc. Not a word of empathy towards the footballers impacted by it. Not one.

Please give it a rest Whitey. This is about some footballers being stitched up by advisers who were negligent at best, and dishonest at worst. It's not about your personal objection to people (I'm guessing you mostly) having to pay tax.

Great response from them. Every conveyancing firm will always say that they can't give tax advice, and that the client should seek it. Doesn't help Rayner one bit.

As I said yesterday, that's your interpretation. There's these things called facts. Try focusing on them mate.

Ditto the IDF. Watching these people suffer is heartbreaking. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKxWpTOTdzb/?igsh=MTA5MDN0cTd2OGN6Ng==

You're confusing illegal evasion with legal avoidance.

Mate, please take any "tax ain't fair" complaint to the lounge or the ballot box. The issue re these footballers goes way beyond the merits or otherwise of paying tax.

You weren't calling for lower taxes, you said it's theft and a scam. Completely different. Anyways, this is a thread about a specific issue, not your opinion about the merits of paying tax.

Ok mate. If you believe tax is theft and a scam, the discussion is pointless. I spose the government should just spend away, with minimal tax, and the world would be lovely. Bizarre.

Swing

It's nuts, nothing good can come from it. Just keep your head down when you've invited a pile on.