NEWTEKWORLDNEWS
Menu

Panama leaks and expense fiddles show dodgy government

6/4/2016

1 Comment

 
PictureMs Miller
Op-ed: As Del Boy David Cameron ducks and dives his way around the panama papers data leak can we really believe a word he or his ministers say?

A day ago, as the PM of Iceland was forced to resign after been caught up in the off shore tax haven scandal, Number 10 said there was nothing to say and Mr Cameron's father's off shore tax haven links were a private family matter.

It was a case of 'move along now nothing here to see'.

But it did not take long for that statement to be superseded. And Wednesday on it goes.

The latest from the BBC is "Downing Street has been forced to further clarify David Cameron's financial affairs after questions about his family's tax arrangements. No 10 said there were "no offshore trusts or funds" that the prime minister or his immediate family would benefit from "in future"" but is that an adequate response?

[Thursday edit -More taxing questions for the PM: How Cameron's father stashed a fortune in Jersey that Dave could inherit from his mother Daily Mail]

Many people are asking about the past and Labour say questions still remain and want him to publish his tax returns.

21st Century western citizens are told to suck up austerity measures and slashed budgets to help pay off some vague national debts and deficits while the rich appear to have stashed their wealth away from the taxman or woman.

This tax limitation has a negative knock on effect on those same debts and budgets.

Cameron may have some of the mainstream media running scared of the Tories but the Conservatives are finding it difficult to make people move on and ignore revelations.

And when you have Chancellor George Osborne cutting short interviews when tax avoidance is mentioned people smell a rat or two. Again it is the Telegraph reporting this time "George Osborne terminates BBC interview when asked twice if he benefits from offshore funds."

But then George has also been under the Telegraph microscope in the past - Chancellor George Osborne reportedly "sold his constituency home, which has been part-funded by his MP’s expenses claims, for an estimated £400,000 profit" was also a Telegraph report.

The MP Expense scandal

Previously various MPs have been shown to abuse the political expenses system available for them.

Following explosive revelations in the Telegraph a couple of years ago a handful of MPs were jailed after losing court cases. Most as I seem to remember where Labour MPs but fiddling expenses was a cross-party phenomenon.

So MP expenses were overhauled and they were awarded hefty salary increases which allegedly would prevent further fiddles; that assumption of course works on the premise that the fiddles were legal within a flawed system and maybe even that some MPs were struggling financially; it takes no account of personal greed.

In January we remembered Maria Miller who was embroiled in the expense scandal but never faced justice and is still an active MP.

But in 2014 the "House of Commons authorities have destroyed all evidence of MPs' expenses claims prior to 2010, meaning end of official investigations into scandal" reported the Telegraph.

One British politician that could be heard breathing a sigh of relief across the UK was Tory Maria Miller.

We followed the Maria Miller saga as it twisted and turned before she came up smelling of roses.

She quit her cabinet role of culture secretary after claiming she was forced out by Number 10 but she was never held to account or proven innocent or guilty of the dodgy expenses allegation but she remained in parliament. It illustrates how unfair and biased even political expense scandals can be.

And now there is Tory Geoffrey Cox QC:

A Conservative MP who failed to declare more than £400,000 of outside earnings will only have to apologise to the Commons after Parliament's Standards Committee decided not to formally punish him for the breach.

In a judgement that will increase criticism over the body, Geoffrey Cox QC will be asked to make an apology, but no formal action will be taken.
Picture
The Standards Committee found that Geoffrey Cox QC had committed a "serious" breach of rules, although it accepted he had not "intended to hide" the payments for hundreds of hours of legal work......Telegraph
That Cox ruling was in early February 2016.

What is a Tory apology worth? Is it worth as much as a Tory saying 'honestly'?
The Torridge and West Devon MP [Geoffrey Cox] referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner and stepped down as a member of parliament's sleaze watchdog last October after it emerged he had repeatedly missed the 28-day deadline.
Sleaze watchdog?

British parliament is still in recess and there is little wonder that Cameron ignored calls for a recall due to the Tata Steel crisis; while he is away from the Commons he is left unaccountable simply drip feeding a little information to the media; information that most people do not believe.

The dodgy off shore but somehow legal tax havens have other family links to the Cameron's though this time in the shape of wife Samantha Cameron. In February 2015 the Daily Mirror reported:
David Cameron has come under more pressure over his wife Samantha’s family affairs after it emerged they have links to tax havens across the globe.

The PM’s mother-in-law Lady Astor’s luxury furniture store Oka Direct is more than 50% owned by anonymous ­shareholders through accounts held in Guernsey, we can reveal.

She has a 22% stake in the firm she founded in 1999 and which has ­benefited from the offshore investment.

And Samantha’s step-dad Viscount Astor is linked to a firm in a Caribbean tax haven which owned his family’s 19,000 acre Talbert Estate in Scotland.

The revelations come amid the furore sparked by further criticism of Mr Cameron’s wife’s job with plush stationery firm Smythson, whose owners are based in Luxembourg.

And the PM was branded a ­“hypocrite” after boasting about clamping down on tax dodgers, insisting he wants all British firms to be ­“headquartered” in the UK.

This piece could roll on and on but we will leave it there, at least for now.

But now that we know we are being governed by crooks and liars the big question has to be - what are we going to do about it?
1 Comment

Icelandic Prime Minster panama leaks resignation

5/4/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
Op-ed: Last weekend the so-called panama papers were released. A massive amount of data leaked to journalists in the mainstream media worldwide. The revelations showed a trail of money laundering and tax free off shore investments and that trail appeared to lead to many high profile figures, including some notable politicians.

In the UK three former Tory MPs and six members of the House of Lords were involved though not named.

Then there was UK PM David Cameron and his late father's off shore dealings. That was in many ways old news after being revealed by a C4 investigative team in early 2015.

But the panama leaks led to fresh questions being asked.

Downing Street seems to believe it is a private family matter for the Camerons but it is not. It raises suspicions and tarnishes the reputation of Cameron and therefore the office he holds.

More than 11 million documents from Mossack Fonseca were released and some western journalists have preferred to try to implicate Russian President Vladimir Putin who is not named; however the panama papers do include the names of people close to Putin.

But the scale of the leaks means that in the coming days, weeks, months and even years there may be more shocks to come.

First blood is Tuesday as Icelandic PM, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, resigns. He cut short an interview at the weekend as soon as the question of the "panama papers" and his involvement was raised but it was too late to save his neck; last night huge crowds demonstrated outside the Icelandic parliament showing their displeasure by throwing eggs and calling for a snap election.

What will happen to Gunnlaugsson now?

Iceland has jailed bankers who were 'caught napping' during the 2008 global financial crisis.

It is hard to imagine they will pat Gunnlaugsson on the back and let him walk away with his stash of cash.

Gunnlaugsson and his wife had purchased an offshore company called Wintris in 2007. Gunnlaugsson never stated his interest in the company when he entered parliament in 2009, according to the BBC, one of the news organizations to examine the so-called Panama Papers. Eight months later, Gunnlaugsson sold his stake to his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir.
People across Europe and further afield have been told that austerity is necessary to balance the books; they have been fed a diet of misinformation and lies.

There has also been an absence of some information.

Will the real truth, no matter who it touches, finally be revealed or will it be a watered down version of events?

C4 in the UK were at the cutting edge of allegations in July 2015 when they also published details of another 'family affair' this time linked to George Osborne.
Chancellor George Osborne's family business made £6 million in a property deal with a developer based in a tax haven, a Channel 4 News investigation has found.

Wallpaper firm Osborne & Little teamed up with a secretive corporation in the British Virgin Islands, to draw up plans to redevelop its former London headquarters into housing.

The companies jointly applied for planning permission for around 45 flats and houses, and once given the go-ahead, Osborne and Little sold its site to the offshore firm for £6,088,000.

A legal expert shown contracts obtained by Channel 4 News said Osborne & Little must have known the developer was based offshore, and had the potential to avoid millions in tax.

At the time, the Chancellor was the beneficiary of a family trust that owned at least 15% of Osborne and Little, so would have personally benefitted from the sale.

It is not known what the Chancellor's personal stake was.
Massive panama papers data leak blows austerity myth to pieces
2 Comments
    Like this writer's work please donate

    RSS Feed

    British political scene

    The next General Election in the UK may not be scheduled any time soon but the British political landscape is changing. With that in mind this blog will concentrate on the political scene but with a left wing perspective. Opinion pieces and news will bring you the stories that the MSM prefer to ignore.

    The writer, Eileen Kersey, is a lifelong Labour Party supporter and voter but fairly recent party member.

    Archives

    September 2018
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    45p 0345 Numbers
    Akehurst Calls For Corbyn To Resign
    Alan Johnson Blow
    American Fans Of Skinner
    Andrea Leadsom
    Andrew Marr
    Angela Eagle
    Anti Semetism
    Anti Semitism
    Article 50
    ASDA
    Austerity
    Austerity Cuts
    Austerity Myth
    BBC Bias
    BCC Suspends Longworth
    BDS
    Benefit Cuts
    Bernie Sanders
    Bitterites
    Boris Johnson
    Bremain
    BRexit
    Brexit Tory Party
    British Economy
    British Foodbanks
    British Politics
    Budget
    Budget Fall Out
    Budget For The Rich
    Cameron Done Wrong
    Cameron Quit
    Cameron Tax Summary
    Can Corbyn Save Referendum
    Carswell Quits Ukip
    Chemical Weapons Attack
    Chuka Umunna
    Clueless Tory Nicky Morgan
    Conservative Party Fraud
    Conservative Party Overspending
    Corbyn Backstabbers
    Corruption
    #CPC16
    Dan Jarvis
    David Cameron
    David Cameron EU Deal
    David Cameron Off Shore Havens
    David Heathcote-Amory
    Dawn Butler
    Democracy
    Dennis Skinner
    Diane James Quits
    Disability Benefits
    Disability UK
    Dodgy Dave
    Dodgy EU Referendum Dealings
    Douglas Carswell Quits
    DWP Shame
    Election Campaign Rules
    Election Fraud
    Election Overspending
    Electoral Commission
    Electoral Fraud
    Eligible Voters
    ESA
    ESA Cuts
    EU Debate
    EU Ref
    EU Referendum
    Ex Pats Vote
    Expat Voters
    Expenses Scandal
    Extremism
    Farage
    Foodbanks Asda
    Foreign Secretary
    Frank Field Labour
    Frank Field Tory
    G7
    General Election 2017
    George Osborne
    George Osborne No Show
    George Osborne Quitting
    George Osborne Sacked
    Handbags At Dawn
    Heartless Iain Duncan Smith
    Heidi Alexander
    Heidi Alexander Resigns
    Help To Save
    Hilary Benn Sacked
    Hope Not Hate
    House Of Commons
    House Of Commons Voting
    Houses Of Commons
    Hull West And Hessle Support Corbyn
    Hypocrisy Rules
    IDS Fall Out
    International Womens Day
    Israel In British Politics
    Jamie Reed Resigns
    Jenny Tonge
    Jeremy Corbyn
    Jeremy Corbyn Backstabbers
    Jeremy Corbyn Budget Response
    Jeremy Corbyn Enemies
    Jeremy Corbyn Rally Hull
    Jeremy Corbyn Steelworkers
    Jeremy Corbyn Suit
    Jeremy Hunt Sacked
    Jess Phillips
    Jo Cox
    John Bercow
    John Longwroth Suspended
    John McDonnell
    John Whittingdale Scandal
    John Woodcock Backstabber
    John Woodcock MP
    Judiciary
    Junior Doctors
    Junior Doctors Strike
    Keith Hunter For PCC
    KenGate
    Ken Livingstone
    Khan And Cameron
    Labour Anti Semitism
    Labour Ban McDonalds
    Labour Leadership Election
    Labour List
    Labour NEC
    Labour Party
    Labour Party Suspensions
    Labour Party Unity
    #LabourPurge2
    Labours NEC
    Lady Smith
    Liam Fox Out
    Links To Israel
    Liz Truss
    Local Elections
    Loose Cannon Sugar
    Lord Alan Sugar
    Lord Tebbit
    Luke Akehurst
    Mainstream Media Attacks
    Michael Crick Investigation
    Michael Martin
    Mike Hookem
    Minimum Wage
    Momentum
    More Austerity
    Mum Would Say
    Named And Shamed Tories
    Nasty Party
    Nationalise Tata Steel
    National Living Wage
    NHS
    Nicky Morgan Booed
    Nicky Morgan Sacked
    Nigel Farage Is Back
    Obama And EU Debate
    Obama UK Visit
    Off Shore Tax Havens
    Open Letter
    Osborne Gets Honour
    Osborne In China
    Osborne Spring Budget
    Owen Smith
    Pairing By MPs
    Panama Leaks
    Parliamentary Racism
    Pensioners
    Pensions Ring Fenced
    Piggate
    PIP Changes Cancelled
    PIP Slashed
    PMQs
    PMQs Theatre
    Podgy Dave
    Political Sleaze
    Porn Star Politics
    Profumo
    Racist David Cameron
    Rhea Wolfson
    Richmond Park
    Robert Peston
    Sadiq Khan
    Savings Gateway
    Self Serving MPs
    Shouting Tories
    Shut Up A Ya Face
    Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson
    Sing The Anthem
    Sir Alan Duncan
    Speaker Of The House
    Stephen Crabb Out
    Stephen Woolfe
    Steven Woolfe
    Tanni Grey-Thompson
    Tata Steel
    Tax Avoidance
    Terrorism Belgium
    Therea May
    Theresa May
    Theresa May Cabinet
    Theresa May Favourite
    Tony Blair
    Tories
    Tory Election Fraud
    Tory Election Overspending
    Tory Leadership Race
    Tory Party Civil War
    Tory Party Conference
    Tory Party Splits
    Tory Smear Campaign
    Triple Lock
    Tristram Hunt
    True Socialism
    Tulip Siddiq Quits
    UK Industrial Suicide
    UKIP
    UK Pensions
    United Kingdom Referendum Voting
    Universal Credit
    Vote Jeremy Corbyn
    Vote Labour
    Water Cannons Belgium
    Weird Weather
    Welsh Windbag
    Wheres George
    Who Are Ya Cameron
    Working Age Benefits
    Zac Goldsmith

Support NEWTEK - Like what we do here at NEWTEK? If so, you should consider supporting us…
Running a news based website is fun, time consuming and can be costly. If you would like to help the site keep afloat please use the donate button
​
Sections:
News:
Welcome
Front page
Specials:
One Woman So Many Blogs

On This Day in History
The Jeremy Corbyn Effect
​Archives
NEWTEKWORLDNEWS:
About Us
Contact Us
Terms of Service
Cookie policy
Picture
  • Welcome
  • Latest
  • Animal Welfare
  • Barbara McPherson
  • British Political Scene
  • Robert Weller
  • Dava Castillo
  • Ken Hanly
  • Odd News
  • On this day in History
    • On this Day in History
    • On this day January
    • On this day February
    • On this day March
    • On this day April
    • On this day May
    • On this day June
    • On this day July
    • On this day August
    • On this day September
    • On this day October
    • On this day November
    • On this day December
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Our Cookie Policy
  • Welcome
  • Latest
  • Animal Welfare
  • Barbara McPherson
  • British Political Scene
  • Robert Weller
  • Dava Castillo
  • Ken Hanly
  • Odd News
  • On this day in History
    • On this Day in History
    • On this day January
    • On this day February
    • On this day March
    • On this day April
    • On this day May
    • On this day June
    • On this day July
    • On this day August
    • On this day September
    • On this day October
    • On this day November
    • On this day December
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Our Cookie Policy