Corrupt: Chancellor Philip Hammond arranged huge business rate cut – for his own firm
Mr Hammond’s spokesman stressed he has no day-to-day input into the firm. So what? He still profits from it.
All in it together, eh?
Yes, Philip Hammond’s firm – Castlemead, based in Wrexham – will pay 10.9 per cent less every year in business rates, due to a revaluation he announced in his budget.
That’s a clear conflict of interest, isn’t it?
Sure, he may currently have no day-to-day involvement, and his stake may be controlled by a trust, but he is still the person who will profit most from the rate cut that he has instigated.
Note also that former Chancellor George Osborne’s family business has also enjoyed a business rate cut.
Meanwhile, firms owned by people who are not members of the Tory Government – located on the same streets as those of Hammond and Osborne – will struggle to pay crippling increases planned by Mr Hammond.
So, yes, it seems the Conservatives have indeed been all in it together…
For themselves.
Chancellor Philip Hammond’s property firm has been handed a business rates cut of more than £12,000 over the next five years, as the Government hits thousands of other companies with crippling hikes.
Castlemead – the housebuilder and care homes developer set up by Mr Hammond – will pay 10.9% or £2,472 a year on average less under next month’s controversial revaluation according to figures compiled for the Press Association.
Self-made millionaire Mr Hammond still owns a controlling interest in Wrexham-based Castlemead, which will see its annual head office rates bill drop by £12,361 over the next five years, data from business rent and rates specialists CVS reveals.
It was revealed last week by the Press Association that former Chancellor George Osborne’s family wallpaper firm is to enjoy a business rates cut of more than £3,400 a year for its showroom in London’s swanky King’s Road, while shops, pubs and restaurants on the same street are facing eye-watering increases.
Mr Hammond’s office remained tight-lipped on Castlemead’s rates cut, but a spokesman said the Chancellor “has no day-to-day involvement in Castlemead”.
Since becoming a government minister, his stake has been controlled by an onshore discretionary trust. While the business is not run on a day-to-day basis by Mr Hammond, he is still the main beneficiary.
Source: Chancellor’s firm enjoys business rates cut while others suffer massive hike
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Hmmmm?? Can’t believe those nice Tory people would feather their own nests and look after their own before anyone else.
What about the crippling rises for nhs trusts in London… It’s another way to take money away from the nhs, I just don’t get why the hospitals are changed business rates anyway, they are none profit organizations, the Nuffield hospital doesn’t pay because it has charity status, it’s a total disgrace.
there are criminals in jail who done less than this government who commit fraud daily ouch
And yet in a recent poll Jeremy Corbyn is les popular than Donald Trump.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/28/poll-finds-jeremy-corbyn-less-popular-donald-trump/
What does that have to do with this story?
You and your polls, Paul! When will you learn?
The firm that was fired by the Independent after the 2005 election and hasn’t done a poll since… 12yrs.
These people don’t even bother to hide their dirty rotten corruption.
Lie and two faced that’s all you need to get to the top in the tory party O and some money
That’s probably the definition of what they mean’t when they stated tax haven Britain, or making britain great again, wonder how there going to do that, the new tory offshore fund, bankrolled by the poor to support the rich, with three great companies that we use to help our crookedness, with our excellent ex chancellor now running a newspaper, advising for four days a month to a bunch of greedy yanks and for the princely sum of 90000 bucks a hour you can listen to them tell you how they ruined a country. high time that all companies that have business links with ministers are placed under close scrutiny, especially ones that never seem to make a profit yet can pay big shareholder payouts and very little tax.
just remember tory, keep doing crooked things, look at all your crooked things and look at some of the things that this country relies on a lot, things that your policies keep taking little knocks at, then imagine if all of a sudden you had to rely on paying everyone for everything, things that you have taken for granted for so long, things that save your councils money for example, that are sometimes done for free and one occasions actually cost the person to go there because they argue about who has to pay the expenses, these are things that little tory does not think about because there incapable,
so i stick to my mantra of what’s the story lying tory
and as the likes of hammond etc think there great
come on rise to the challenge
lets see hammond, osbourne, grayling, smith, patel, boris, of course we cannot miss freud out of this, summer recess role your sleeves up and come and do some real work, in the areas that your own policies have caused the most hardship.
are you capable enough, i doubt it