Utilising tax havens to avoid paying your fair share is not a simple ‘error’

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Zahawi’s error appears to have involved pushing already over-generous boundaries that hurt the public purse (PA Wire)

Nadhim Zahawi has admitted to being “careless” –a word that can be defined as “not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoid harm or errors”. It is not an error to utilise tax havens and related devices in order to avoid tax. It is certainly harmful to the public purse, but in the UK it is perfectly legal and a matter of choice. Zahawi’s error appears to have involved pushing already over-generous boundaries.

Our membership in the EU threatened the retention of that choice. For a very small and extremely wealthy minority, the UK is an important tax haven. A major driver of Brexit was to ensure the continuation of that tax-free paradise. They are the “we” who have taken back control, or more correctly retained control, by facilitating the removal of the UK from the EU.

Brexit has no discernable benefits for the vast majority because there are none. For a select minority, Brexit has no cost and a massive financial benefit. With the government in Tory hands their global income was sheltered from tax and, at least for the time being, continues to be so.