Today, Toby Young over at The Coffee House pulls on his 'bovver boots' and gives the hacks at The Guardian a good kicking. These juvenile dimwits in what passes for a newsroom actually stood and applauded themselves the other night when they finalised the launch of their story concerning what is now known as 'the Panama Papers' scandal. In it they discovered that 'Dim Dave's dad - not Dave himself, mind, just his dad - had shifted money into a tax haven - SHLOCK-HORROR!
As Toby Young reminds us - and The Guardian hacks! - that one must assume that some of the applause was for themselves because, of course, The Guardian has long indulged in the most blatant tax avoidance schemes dreamt up by City slickers.
[T]hey either didn’t know or had forgotten about the Guardian Media Group’s use of a tax-exempt shell company in the Cayman Islands to avoid paying corporation tax when it sold its 50 per cent holding in Auto Trader to Apax Partners in 2008 (hat tip to Guido Fawkes). Further, they were similarly ignorant about the hundreds of millions GMG has invested in offshore hedge funds over the years. But that seems unlikely. After all, right-wing hacks like me lose no opportunity to draw attention to the paper’s creative tax affairs, particularly when confronted with self-righteous columnists like Owen Jones and Polly Toynbee wagging their fingers at Vodafone and Starbucks for avoiding paying their ‘fair share’.
Apparently the former 'Humbugger-in-Chief' who used to occupy the editor's desk, Alan Rusbridger, once wrote a 3,000 word essay defending The Guardian's avoidance of paying even so much as a penny in tax on the £300 million profit because all the arrangements down to the last jot and tittle were perfectly and completely legal. As Mr. Young reminds us, exactly the same defence might be offered on behalf of the late Mr. Cameron Snr. about whose affairs The Guardian hacks were so excited.
In addition, the astute Mr. Young reminds us that The Guardian humbugs who applauded themselves for attacking a politician for the 'sins' of his father are the same scribblers who were 'shocked, I tell you, shocked' when the Tory press went after Ed Miliband for the all too real crimes of his father who couldn't have got his tongue further up Joe Stalin's arse if he had tried!
I am rather torn about this story. On the one hand, I think the Guardian and its readers (who include several of my in-laws) are a bunch of mealy-mouthed hypocrites. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe that Cameron's father didn't leave his inheritance packaged in neat tax avoiding thingies. I would like some of this transparency he is always blithering on about.
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 11:19
Two little bits of advice, BOE, don't tell the missus what you think of your in-laws, and don't hold your breath waiting for transparency from Dave!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 11:29
Am I biased or what? I know everyone is a hypocrite or has been at some point but in politics is not the left by far the most outrageous of them? I would also add the most stupid, illogical and irrational. No wonder we act so inhumanely to one another so many give us reason to behave that way. Bias of course is a considerable factor when deciding who we should do harm to. At the moment I am all for hanging the Guardian journalists from the nearest lamppost. See what I mean.
How could nature have let loose such perverse destructive animals onto this planet of ours. Surely our planet would be far better off without it. All I can say is Gaia must be a masochist.
Posted by: Antisthenes | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 11:56
My wife has banned me from discussing politics and "news" with her relatives. This suits me, as I realised some time ago that it was a waste of time! I have pointed out to them that the Guardian is owned by a tax sheltered company - they don't believe me because it has never been mentioned in the Guardian. I am helped by the fact that Mrs BoE reads the Telegraph!
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 11:58
Dammit, Antis, just bend over and take you punishment like a man!
BOE, despatch them all to D&N for, er, re-education!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 12:38
Sometimes I wonder just what the Guardian actually guards.
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 13:13
It's untaxed profits!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 13:15
Untaxed profits. You might know that April 15 is the due date here in the US where we loyal taxpayers render our tithes and offerings to the Federal Treasury Temple. Yesterday was my day to hand it over. Now just how do I get me one of them tax shelter do whammers?
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 13:45
That's odd, I thought it was April 1st! What you need, Whiters, is an overseas tax haven and you really could not do better than the 'zovereign state of Zouth Zummerzet' here in this septic isle. Any old money order will do and you can rest easy that your funds will be safe with me!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 14:16
Hmm, seems I've heard that pitch before.
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 14:27
Yes, you probably have, Whiters, from the American government!
Posted by: David Duff | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 16:57
Dpn't forget Whitewall, in ZZ they are still using groats. Or is it grouts?
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 18:09
BOE, some of that old exotic currency as I recall?
Posted by: Whitewall | Thursday, 07 April 2016 at 19:36