Hey, #BBC! Did you know thousands of people are demonstrating against tax dodger Cameron RIGHT NOW #ResignDavidCameron
This is a David Cameron pignata – do you think it’ll squeal if you hit it, or do you have to do something else?
Apparently thousands of people demonstrating against tax dodger David Cameron outside Downing Street don’t register on the BBC’s news values.
Cameron giving a speech to fellow Tories is top of Auntie’s ‘politics’ page at the time of writing…
… and there is mention of the demo. The article states: “A group of protesters calling on Mr Cameron to “close tax loopholes or resign” rallied outside Downing Street before moving on to demonstrate outside the venue where the Conservative forum was held.”
A group? Thousands of people are there right now (2pm, April 9), listening to speeches and shouting for David Cameron to resign as prime minister of the UK.
Here’s the evidence:
Whitehall has been blocked for more than an hour. Not newsworthy to the BBC.
It’s all very well, Cameron telling the Conservative Party faithful, “I know that I should have handled this better, I could have handled this better. I know there are lessons to learn and I will learn them. Don’t blame Number 10 Downing Street or nameless advisers, blame me. I was obviously very angry about what people were saying about my dad.”
But this is not about how he handled the situation, or about learning lessons, or about Downing Street advisers. It isn’t even about Cameron’s late father.
It is about the fact that Cameron lied to the British public for nearly a week and thought it was acceptable to do that.
He is a tax-dodger. Many of the events that led to him becoming prime minister were privileges bought with money that should have paid Ian Cameron’s taxes. The dividends Cameron drew from Blairmore were profits from a company based in a tax haven that, therefore, didn’t pay its fair share of taxes – he was receiving this money while he was leader of the Conservative Party, remember.
And according to Channel 4 News, Cameron allegedly had a stake in a third – yes, a third – tax-avoiding company.
He has only mentioned Blairmore. What about Close International and PMG Eagle? Take a look:
Channel 4 News has questioned Downing Street about these firms – but has received no answer.
The BBC hasn’t even bothered to ask.
Cameron has had his chance. He has had nearly a week to come clean about his tax avoidance – activity that was followed up, if not accompanied, by loud preaching for tax honesty around the world. What a hypocrite.
It’s time for him to give up and go. If he won’t be honest, then he can’t be prime minister.
And it’s time the BBC remembered its duties as a public service broadcaster.
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For me mike it’s the lack of transparency in David Cameron. it’s the not being able to trust him and for me that is paramount
as for his dad that is just bad luck having a father like that a man whose god was money
my dad’s god was god and the church just a bad twist of fate on there part. if i was asked to stand as a mp today like i was in 1974 by lord Callaghan i would and there again would i have made a difference when no one else has over the past 40 years ?
My dads god was money too but that’s because he didnt have any and he resented anyone who had, no matter how hard they had worked for it. An old fashioned Labour supporter. He thought I should go to work at 14 like he did, he had no ambition for me and was the proverbial dog sitting on a thistle howling. He had an impoverished upbringing but instead of spurning him on to better things he just whinged and though he worked hard but he didnt realise his attitude held him back. I have no problem with who has what if its legally obtained. Good for them. I cant see that, if what we hear is correct, David Caneron did anything illegal. Most people want to put their money somewhere safe and if it’s legal, then it’s legal. End of story.
But if it’s only legal because David Cameron allows it, that is clearly corruption. He is using his privileged position for his own profit, when he should be working to improve the fortunes of every UK citizen.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, too.
Did you not read the other comments before posting yours?
Perhaps, in future, you’ll check that you’re not repeating an argument that has already been buried.
for what it’s worth putting your money offshore is very foolish as there is no honest authority and at any given time you can lose the lot
i cant think of any reason why a sane man would risk everything putting his whole family’s life at stake by putting his wealth with a bunch of criminals in some offshore island
they is no way i would ever do that under any circumstances irrespective of the interest that i could earn
just goes to show how my thinking is so vastly different to the likes of Cameron and co today
This issue will eventually become transparent for this PM with no integrity whatsoever….and then good riddance to the lying whatsit. What is more concerning is the non-action and tame broadcasts of the BBC. When one sees all those expensive people in the BBC Main news room compared to many other stations modest staffing the little guys still come out with the best news. We do not want another Murdoch type media doffing their forelocks to these bunch of Cons who incidently do not pay for the BBC it is the licence holders property not for their useage.
They may be avoiding tax and don’t want to open a can of worms. Just saying.lol
When Dodgy Dave finally said that he had sold his shares he stated that he sold them in January 2010.
Today, when he was addressing activists, he changed his statement again saying;
“The facts are these: I bought shares in a unit trust, shares that are like any other sorts of shares and I paid taxes on them in exactly the same way.
“I sold those shares. In fact, I sold all the shares that I owned, on becoming Prime Minister.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-admits-he-could-have-handled-the-panama-papers-affair-better-a6976186.html
He’s not a very good liar and he seems to be implying that he had more than the Blairmore Holdings shares; he sold ALL the shares that he owned.
It isn’t just the BBC, there is next to no reporting on any UK broadcast media.
its on david ickes site..which is really worrying if thats the only one!
True, seems that the best coverage was on RT and Sputnik. Max Kaiser had to quit BBC when ordered not to mention Israel, free press in Britain sure isn’t BBC.
Just how David Cameron can justify being in power as the result of tax evasion is staggering. Surely he is not going to try and hang on, the longer this goes on, the clearer it becomes he advocates the self centered policies he pretends to oppose. Any support of his presence is now a firm admission from the Commons that this IS acceptable. This is an insult to the British people. It is unacceptable.
He is only just 1 in the Tory Party, What about the other members that do just the same
The whole lot should go, Put us into a General Election let the people decide.
We are all in it together, we’ve got to cut the welfare bill, we’ve got to “help” the disabled work. We’ve got to have a pernicious test process for the disabled.
At the same time our representatives DC and others are cheating the “all in it together system”
They are not a credible government, they must go now.
I couldn’t agree more watching him squirm as been worth it over the last few days though, but we all know his chum Osborne and Boris will be no better…there does need to be a credible government one that is voted in fairness?
They are not even a Government. They are a bunch of frigging crooks avoiding tax while spending ours .
Deselection by petition and a vote of no confidence, with a deterent anti- corruption regulation which stops all corrupt MPs from benefiting from their time in politics.
Cameron should be dismissed and imprisoned. no choice of resignation should apply in these circumstances.
its been on there since around 12pm.. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36006447
Since around 3 or 4pm, according to the time given on the website (“five hours ago” at time of writing).
No offence intended, but it still amazes me that people will argue with a statement when visual proof is provided.
i was watching it all day, it definitely appeared around 12, 1pm time i only know because i was amazed it wasnt on there already. watched it live on david ike site instead..i’m not arguing with his visual proof, dont need to..had my own..i think the hour count is not spot on..
We can all agree the BBC came to the party late.
I was there Mike. If you need anymore pictures, please let me know.
And how many of the protesters buy dodgy import baccy /fags (that’s illegal tax dodging ) ? How many do drugs ? (Illegal) in fact how many of the protesters actually pay any tax ? They don’t exactly look like hard working pillars of the community, more like work shy soap dodgers.
Do you have any facts about any of the protesters to support your frankly outrageous suppositions?
No?
Thought not.
As far as you know, every single one of them is a fine, upstanding, honest citizen on the UK – and therefore better citizens than David Cameron or his ilk.
I think you need to apologise but I think it’s more likely you’ll just disappear.
Well said Mike and to those who were out protesting in London…Cameron needs to listen to these people and the country and resign!!
Shane doesn’t have to apologise, Mike. They are not fine, upstanding citizens. They are the usual rent a mob looking for trouble. Still don’t see what Cameron has done wrong. Tax havens aren’t illegal, so what exactly has he done wrong? How many of us would pay less tax if we could? Bunch of hypocrites.
And what evidence do you have to support your opinion of the protesters?
None that you have shown to us.
Your argument does not stand up to scrutiny.
As for Cameron’s wrong-doing: Tax havens aren’t illegal because a tax dodger makes the law.
David Cameron is in a privileged position and has used it for his own personal gain.
That’s a far cry from the honest, hard-working, taxpaying citizens who protested against him yesterday.
And it is worse than the people who – and I agree they exist – dodge taxes on tobacco etc. They don’t make the law.
Do you understand yet? And if you do, are you willing to acknowledge it?
It isn’t hard.
Well said, Mike
Shane’s got a good point, if soap were taxed at the rate of cigarettes, more would use it, surely, according to Shane’s logic, we may all become pillars of the community overnight simply by making these things illegal. Why on earth is Shane not in politics, he’s a genius.
i would trust the protesters before the artful dodger
The demonstration is reported on many sites including BBC, LBC Huffington, Telegraph, Independent. The estimates vary from hundreds to thousands. From pictures and quite a bit of video footage the majority seem to be carrying SWP and Class War posters. Not exactly the average person in the street.
People who support Class War and SWP are average people in the street.
They’re people who have become sick of entitled creatures like Cameron smarming into positions of privilege and using those advantages to cream off profit for themselves when they should be administrating the affairs of the UK for the benefit of everybody.
So Cameron has said he will show evryone his tax returns to prove his innocence? erm David I it hardly as if there is going to be evidence of tax evasion on your tax returns now is it?
TheBBC has lost all credibility as a media source and it’s journalist’s and reporters should question why they work for selective news outlet?
The shallow, superficial, corrupt and oily Cameron PR machine has finally broken down.
Urgh, it was on BBC news ALL DAY. Featured on the 10 o’clock news too. The organisers were really pleased they got more coverage than they expected.
Yeah, it seems the BBC woke up after I published the article – which was a response to comments on the social media that nothing was being reported on domestic news channels.
Cameron has not done anything that is unlawful, all this grasping at straws by the Labour party to try and undermine his position is looking desperate. If change is wanted lobby for a change in the law to prevent tax havens!
I tend to agree with Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK:
“First, let’s be clear what the objective of tax compliance – that is tax honesty – is. It is seeking to pay the right amount of tax (but no more) at the right rate, in the right place at the right time, where right means that the economic substance of the transactions undertaken coincides with the place and form in which they are reported for taxation purposes.
“So what is tax avoidance? That is using loopholes within and between laws and legal systems to make sure that tax payments are not compliant (as defined above) in ways that do not breach the law.”
Do Cameron’s actions constitute tax avoidance?
Yes.
And I haven’t even looked at the latest revelations in the Mail.
Would that be the Richard Murphy who also said that the Guardian Media Group’s tax setup was “nothing abnormal”, even though it had incorporated a trust in the Cayman Islands and happily used that vehicle in order to avoid paying capital gains on over £300 million. Not to mention its stamp duty avoidance.
Or is it another Richard Murphy?
What tax do you think Cameron avoided exactly? It seems to me you’re getting confused between the tax Cameron has paid, and the tax a company that doesn’t even reside in the uk has paid. Pretty much anyone with a pension will have either knowingly or unknowingly even invested in offshore investments. OMG… let’s lynch everyone!
It would be great if internet bloggers stuck to things they understood. Either that or ignorance truly is bliss.
If he said that, he’s probably right. I notice you’re not saying whether he approved of that setup. Selective quoting?
Cameron has benefited from the proceeds of tax avoidance, therefore he is a participant in tax avoidance. Remember the company avoiding the tax was set up by his own father and he has said nothing against that company or the decision to found it. I notice your comment about “what tax do you think Cameron avoided exactly” is an attempt to make excuses for him. Don’t bother. It’s about a week too late for that.
As for your insult – keep it to yourself. I know exactly what I’m writing about and I don’t have to twist any words to make it seem acceptable.
The big difference between the likes of Cameron and the ‘rest’ of us, is we do not get to manipulate our tax affairs, it’s deducted at source, it’s not optional, it’s not negotiable. So why should the rich be treated to concessions and discounts just because they have the dosh to begin with!
‘We’ have a social contract to pay our tax and contributions, we expect to get back what we were promised, and when you see that contract being eroded and changed in favor of the rich, it sticks in your throat. The British public are sick of being treated like cash cow morons. The platitudes from some commentators illustrates their avarice at the expense of the poor. It’s exactly people like Hayford & CSMedia that are the problem, they are not the solution, they are a part of the elite supporting Nazi faction of this country that has / will produce’d the offspring to propagate the abhorrent medieval philosophies that should have died out with feudalism. Should this faction want to continue trying to enslave the population of this country, then don’t expect to gain any ground without a fight, and ultimately, you will lose, we are not British for nothing.
As far as I’m aware, this was the first BBC report on the demo… where the reporter says she ‘thinks Cameron has made an effort’ [or similar], showing a clear bias.
https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/718758510389907456
If he doesnt want to pay UK taxes like us ..take away his UK passport.. no perks when you dont contribute or pay..
The BBC can’t always give rolling news coverage to protests because it needs to balance them, and also can’t encourage people to join a protest. The BBC did cover this on TV, online, radio and social media. It published news about it while the protest was still happening. To say it didn’t is wrong.
I said it wasn’t happening at the time of writing – and it wasn’t.
You don’t think it’s anything to do with this, then:
The BBC and other news outlets are simply pathetic, weak, government biased and running scared, they’re all the government’s bitches, especially the Beeb, who shouldn’t be because the tories want rid of them, but still kiss arse, Newsnight now is such a joke, Evan Davies doesn’t have a bloody clue, it’s no wonder the trust in the BBC is gone, they’ve brought this crap down on their heads all by themselves, I don’t suppose this will be shown on here because bashing the BBC isn’t permitted, even when it’s justified!
On the contrary – This Blog makes a habit of bashing BBC News. The corporation’s drama output is excellent, though.
I’ve been on here before Mike and posted comments in the past having a go at the Beeb and they weren’t published and they weren’t rude or full of bad language, they were again justified!
Are you sure?
Consider: https://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/ask-the-bbc-why-it-didnt-cover-the-anti-austerity-demo-heres-what-you-can-expect/
Also its follow-up: https://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/06/25/bbc-responds-to-complaints-about-anti-austerity-demo-with-a-form-letter/
regardless that no-one else is covering it the BBC is public owned and should have had some coverage
God bless the Panama whistleblower. There is tax dodging, where you dont pay your tax.
Then there is the conservatit’s conservatosh description of tax dodging. Which is tax avoidance and tax evasion.
According to the conservatit’s conservatosh language the rich condervatits do tax avoidance, the poor do tax evasion. The consveratits are running the biggest age old scam of tax dodging, tax evasion, by running two sets of books, the Panama books stashing the cash away for themselves, and the UK books with the ledgers bare to the bone for everyone else particularly the disabled.
For Gods sake lets wake up and stop being duped by this criminal deception.