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[CharmingCharlie]

Ah so the Prime Ministers Tax Affairs are a "private matter" eh :-

I think some of these schemes – and I think particularly of the Jimmy Carr scheme – I have had time to read about and I just think this is completely wrong.

Hm that's funny Davy boy didn't consider Jimmy Carr's tax affairs a "private matter". Nope he considered it a lovely opportunity to try and curry public favour by criticising some ones private tax affairs.

 

[ruttyboy]

What gets me is this leak is from the 4th biggest law firm dealing in these matters. So being mentioned or not is not even an indicator of 'innocence'.

Everyone is doing it and it's all perfectly legal because the people who could change that are the ones getting rich from it...

 

[f0rk]

Loved Snowden's response to Cameron's spokesman saying his father's leaked offshore investments were "a private matter".

"Oh, now he cares about privacy"

He's right, but Snowden continuing to make these sort of remarks when he's hiding under Putin annoys me.

 

[Beefy]

He's right, but Snowden continuing to make these sort of remarks when he's hiding under Putin annoys me.

Do you think he chooses to "hide under Putin"?

 

[Jezbollah]

Do you think he chooses to "hide under Putin"?

That really depends if he's being held against his will. I don't think anything is stopping him from getting on an airplane to go elsewhere..

 

[Mindwipe]

That really depends if he's being held against his will. I don't think anything is stopping him from getting on an airplane to go elsewhere..

You mean other than the very significant risk of being extradited back to the US? I'd sit tight unless I had to if I were him too.

 

[Beefy]

You mean other than the very significant risk of being extradited back to the US? I'd sit tight unless I had to if I were him too.

Yep.

 

[Jezbollah]

You mean other than the very significant risk of being extradited back to the US? I'd sit tight unless I had to if I were him too.

Yep, absolutely. I think given his options to avoid such extradition it's his choice to stay in the country that gives him the most "protection" against that scenario. Pretty wise, tbh.

Cameron's quotes today regarding his own finances are pretty clear cut - if he's wrong, he's fucked basically. I'm still looking for all the other names in the Lords who have been exposed in these documents..

 

[SHEF]

The statement says he, his wife and their children do not benefit from offshore funds. No mention of his mother though so he, his wife and their children can still benefit nicely from it in the future when she dies; even more so now with the cuts to inheritance tax.

 

[War Peaceman]

The statement says he, his wife and their children do not benefit from offshore funds. No mention of his mother though so he, his wife and their children can still benefit nicely from it in the future when she dies; even more so now with the cuts to inheritance tax.

Or that he hasn't in the past.

It is quite brilliantly evasive.

Of course he doesn't benefit from it now. He gets a nice salary and a free house.

 

[Jezbollah]

I do wonder if these were questions asked four years ago. Still worth asking them again though. Corbyn must be very confident that there are no Labour MPs in this leak to be pushing so soon on the subject!

I got my polling card through the post today (which is a relief given I moved house last year). Those May elections are going to be very interesting.

 

[Protome]

I do wonder if these were questions asked four years ago. Still worth asking them again though. Corbyn must be very confident that there are no Labour MPs in this leak to be pushing so soon on the subject!

I got my polling card through the post today (which is a relief given I moved house last year). Those May elections are going to be very interesting.

It's Corbyn, he wont care if Labour MPs are in the leak, he's just confident he isn't in the leak.

 

[War Peaceman]

I do wonder if these were questions asked four years ago. Still worth asking them again though. Corbyn must be very confident that there are no Labour MPs in this leak to be pushing so soon on the subject!

I got my polling card through the post today (which is a relief given I moved house last year). Those May elections are going to be very interesting.

Corbyn - to his credit - probably doesn't give a fuck. I would be very surprised if leading New Labour figures (Jack Straw springs to mind) weren't in the leaks.

 

[Fernando Fernandez]

David Cameron has admitted he did have a profitable stake in his father’s offshore investment fund, before selling it for around £30,000 before he became Prime Minister.

The admission comes five days after a huge cache of documents were leaked – dubbed the Panama Papers – detailing the tax affairs of thousands of individuals of worldwide. The Prime Minister’s father, Ian Cameron, who passed away in 2010, was exposed as running a fund under the name of Blairmore Holdings in the papers.

Downing Street staffers initially said that it was a “private matter” whether or not Mr Cameron had benefitted from the fund. It later issued a series of statements denying the Prime Minister currently benefitted from offshore funds, or stood to do so in the future. Though, despite the clarifications, a number of questions still remained.

Ruh ro

 

[Beefy]

Ruh ro

Link?

 

[JonathanEx]

It's interesting as at that point, Cameron paid all the UK tax he should on it, not an illegal scheme, he didn't reduce his own tax, but..
1. Why has this week been horrendously spun by No10
2. Why did he feel the need to sell them just before the election/taking office, it's as if they knew it wouldn't look good.

The attempt to hide it is the main thing here I guess.

 

[Fernando Fernandez]

Link?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...an-camerons-offshore-investment-a6973586.html

 

[War Peaceman]

Ruh ro

Oooh, exactly as I said above he was being evasive in his earlier 'denials'

 

[Jezbollah]

Labour NEED to get traction on this - even if it turns out that nothing illegal was done.

 

[Beefy]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...an-camerons-offshore-investment-a6973586.html

Thanx.

Another article on it:

http://www.theguardian.com/news/201...-profited-fathers-offshore-fund-panama-papers

 

[tomtom94]

Labour NEED to get traction on this - even if it turns out that nothing illegal was done.

Right now ironically the press are doing Corbyn's job for him, seeing as pretty much the entire spectrum of the British press hates Cameron for one reason or another at the moment. To the extent that I think recalling Parliament would actually hurt Labour.

 

[Pie and Beans]

"We're all in this together!" wasn't directed at us serfs, it was a threat to his fellow offshoring bastard colleagues.

 

[Jezbollah]

"QUICK, RELEASE THE CHILCOTT INQUIRY NOWWWWW"

 

[Beefy]

The biggest thing for me is that Cameron purchased the shares. Wasn't gifted them by his old man, but knowingly bought shares to avoid a tax.

I know he wasn't an MP at that point but he was well involved with the Conservative Party and for anyone contemplating a move to become a Member of Parliament or holding a position more senior, it was probably not the wisest move.

He would've been better off admitting this sooner, though. That's his fifth statement in a week. PR disaster.

 

[jimbobsmells]

Lying motherfucker.

 

[Jezbollah]

Lying motherfucker.

Technically he wasn't lying. He just wasn't detailing what he had done in the past.

Slippery.

 

[RedShift]

I know it won't happen but imagine how hilarious it would be if Cameron was forced to resign and there was a leadership contest during the run up to the referendum.

 

[jimbobsmells]

Technically he wasn't lying. He just wasn't detailing what he had done in the past.

Slippery.

Ok that's fair.
Slippery motherfucker.

 

[War Peaceman]

Technically he wasn't lying. He just wasn't detailing what he had done in the past.

Slippery.

Yup, which is what I said before these latest revelations. I'd say it is worse because it shows how good he is at deception.

The true heir to Blair.

 

[anonymous_abc]

Yup, which is what I said before these latest revelations. I'd say it is worse because it shows how good he is at deception.

The true heir to Blair.

Ironically the offshore company/fund was called Blairmore. xD

 

[kmag]

As I said at the time Thornberry was largely right about naval drones and Trident.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/08/us-military-christens-self-driving-sea-hunter-warship

The US has at least 3 publicly known projects (Sea Hunter, LDUUV and Ghostswimmer), the Chinese and Russians are both working on similar projects. Hell the UK is actually considered one of the leaders in the field.

There's a more than decent chance that new Trident subs will be easily traceable quite early in their lifespan

 

[ruttyboy]

Yup, which is what I said before these latest revelations. I'd say it is worse because it shows how good he is at deception.

The true heir to Blair.

It wasn't deception, he was just protecting his poor dead father, who he loved very much and who can't defend himself, remember that, he's passed away, did I mention that, you wouldn't attack a dead man would you? One who was very much loved by his son, and now can't defend himself! Because that's definitely what this is about, people attacking a dead loving father (who can't defend himself, he's dead) and not his slimy son being a hypocritical bullshitter, honest!

Spoiler

If you were listening to Radio 4 this morning this will proably make more sense to you

 

[Mindwipe]

It wasn't deception, he was just protecting his poor dead father, who he loved very much and who can't defend himself, remember that, he's passed away, did I mention that, you wouldn't attack a dead man would you? One who was very much loved by his son, and now can't defend himself! Because that's definitely what this is about, people attacking a dead loving father (who can't defend himself, he's dead) and not his slimy son being a hypocritical bullshitter, honest!

Spoiler

If you were listening to Radio 4 this morning this will proably make more sense to you

This seems pretty accurate as a summary of the programme, yes...

 

[RedShift]

It wasn't deception, he was just protecting his poor dead father, who he loved very much and who can't defend himself, remember that, he's passed away, did I mention that, you wouldn't attack a dead man would you? One who was very much loved by his son, and now can't defend himself! Because that's definitely what this is about, people attacking a dead loving father (who can't defend himself, he's dead) and not his slimy son being a hypocritical bullshitter, honest!

Spoiler

If you were listening to Radio 4 this morning this will proably make more sense to you

Meanwhile Labour leaders have to deal with stupid stories about their fathers drowning puppies with headlines like THE MAN WHO HATED BRITAIN.

 

[tomtom94]

Apparently Jez was in Norwich yesterday, presumably doing a rally. Wish someone had told me this beforehand, definitely would have gone.

 

[kmag]

Sturgeon was on sky having a go at Cameron over this tax debacle. She's far more cutting than any of the Labour drones who've tried similar. Pinning him on his vetoing of a EU crackdown on tax havens is more effective than Labour's he said something bad about Jimmy Carr. It's an interesting thought exercise to imagine her having joined Labour instead of the SNP and working her way up the ranks there.

Of course you couldn't actually have in practical terms a Scot be Prime Minister or Chancellor now in the age of EVEL.

 

[Kelthink]

Obviously there's never a good time for bad news but really, the Panama files leak isn't the best thing for the pro-EU side. Cameron's simultaneously trying to publically support the EU Yes Campaign and cower away from answering anything remotely challenging about the leaks; it cannot go hand-in-hand.

I really don't want us to leave the EU but this is a shitstorm. Fucking embarrassing for the pigfucker.

 

[FlammableD]

Obviously there's never a good time for bad news but really, the Panama files leak isn't the best thing for the pro-EU side. Cameron's simultaneously trying to publically support the EU Yes Campaign and cower away from answering anything remotely challenging about the leaks; it cannot go hand-in-hand.

I really don't want us to leave the EU but this is a shitstorm. Fucking embarrassing for the pigfucker.

Yeah, I'm now getting very nervous about that vote.

 

[Walshicus]

This seems pretty accurate as a summary of the programme, yes...

Yeah, that's what I got from the BBC Breakfast interview too.

 

[Roberto Larcos]

Yeah, I'm now getting very nervous about that vote.

I think we'll end up out. The 'remain' vote-base seems largely apathetic - we're relying on the silent majority voting for the status quo.

The best thing the EU could do is act on these leaks, hard and fast. Show up how fucking incompetent and unwilling our own government is to tackle the problems, and highlight the utility of a Europe-wide Parliament for a Europe-wide solution.

 

[RedShift]

Why the fuck is story about the Arch bishop in the news?

It's just bizarre.

 

[fizzelopeguss]

As I said at the time Thornberry was largely right about naval drones and Trident.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/08/us-military-christens-self-driving-sea-hunter-warship

The US has at least 3 publicly known projects (Sea Hunter, LDUUV and Ghostswimmer), the Chinese and Russians are both working on similar projects. Hell the UK is actually considered one of the leaders in the field.

There's a more than decent chance that new Trident subs will be easily traceable quite early in their lifespan

It's another true Dreadnought moment. I always expected Naval careerists would have delayed shit like this for another 15-20 years.

 

[War Peaceman]

Why the fuck is story about the Arch bishop in the news?

It's just bizarre.

Yup. Who the fuck even cares?

 

[tomtom94]

Yup. Who the fuck even cares?

 

[Jezbollah]

Morning all. So Cameron's released his tax return figures today.

The figures seem quite boring, frankly. There's a lot of talk of the two £100k cash gifts from his mother, however I think most here probably know that's only applicable for inheritance tax if his mother was to pass away within seven years of gifting the sum.

It does seem that Cameron releasing these details will prolong this story for a few more days - but I wonder what the long term implication of releasing these details are for the election process going forwards..

 

[Hellers]

Also this is the stuff he's willing to let us see. Nobody gets to the top of the Tory food chain without being a dodgy fuck. So where's he hidden the rest?

 

[JonathanEx]

I mean I get this is really about pressuring Cameron (as that strengthens Brexit) and about perception but I'm still sort of struggling to see the actual element of scandal.

The whole "Cameron tried to stop EU having tighter rules on ownership details" thing is the closest bit but much of the talk isn't about that.

 

[War Peaceman]

Morning all. So Cameron's released his tax return figures today.

The figures seem quite boring, frankly. There's a lot of talk of the two £100k cash gifts from his mother, however I think most here probably know that's only applicable for inheritance tax if his mother was to pass away within seven years of gifting the sum.

It does seem that Cameron releasing these details will prolong this story for a few more days - but I wonder what the long term implication of releasing these details are for the election process going forwards..

I think the spotlight will move off Cameron and on to Farage...who should probably be very wary.

 

[Beefy]

I think the spotlight will move off Cameron and on to Farage...who should probably be very wary.

Or Osborne...

 

[Empty]

hate this tax affairs scandal because the eu referendum is being fought on cameron's reputation and he's been nastily scissored by the forces on the right that are happy to exploit any opportunity to move us towards brexit, and the forces on the left that still think endlessly repeating 'david cameron is rich and privileged and went to eton' is somehow an effective political attack despite years of people knowing this and voting tory anyway.

not that cameron is some helpless figure. of course he had flawless message disciple in the run up to the last general election under crosby, then when i want him to win he makes the most basic political error ever of allowing a complete non-story to dominate a week of news because of refusing to own up to the basic facts