Conflict of interest: Treasury minister linked to firm which profits from tax enquiries

Last Updated: May 5, 2019By Tags: , , , , , ,

Mel Stride: Conflict of interest?

Conservatives and corruption – once again those words appear to fit together like they were made for each other.

It is not credible for a Conservative MP with connections to the tax avoidance industry to be involved in efforts to curtail that industry’s activities.

But that is what we see in the employment of Mel Stride on such work in the Treasury, when his father – also Melvin Stride – sells “tax investigation insurance” to safeguard possible tax avoiders from HMRC prosecution.

Apparently nobody in the government saw anything amiss with that.

Now for a very important question.

Do you know someone who voted Conservative in the local elections?

If so, why not remind them that their vote supports this corruption?

tax avoidance crackdown is being spearheaded by a Treasury minister whose father sells insurance to those being targeted by HMRC.

Mel Stride, the financial secretary to the Treasury since 2017, has been the Government’s main spokesman on the controversial “loan charge” policy, a campaign that targets those who used so-called “disguised remuneration” schemes dating back 20 years.

His father, also called Melvyn Stride, owns a company that sells “tax investigation insurance” to businesses subject to HMRC inquiries, Telegraph Money can disclose.

Source: Treasury minister linked to firm which profits from tax enquiries

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5 Comments

  1. trev May 5, 2019 at 1:04 pm - Reply

    Tory corruption is no surprise, but odd that it’s being reported in the Telegraph.

  2. Brett Wing May 5, 2019 at 5:20 pm - Reply

    So the son is expected to be his father’s keeper is he?

    Further

    “sells “tax investigation insurance” to safeguard possible tax avoiders from HMRC prosecution.”

    Insurance will not protect from an attempt at prosecution by HMRC, who have a history of vexatious litigation. The insurance will give some peace of mind from the professional costs that would be incurred in fighting (rightly or wrongly) such an attempt by HMRC.

    Clearly there is confusion about the term “tax avoider”. If someone has breached the law regarding their tax affairs, then they have committed tax evasion an offence punishable under law. Quite rightly such offenders should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It should be noted that HMRC offers their interpretation of the law, the definitive interpretation of the law can only be made in a court of law. Reference should be made to numerous attempts by HMRC to demand taxes under the iniquitous IR35 legislation for examples of their failure to interpret the law correctly.

    Most recently probably the highest profile case of this was a campaign of concerted attempts to levy tax on broadcasters. A brief search on Google will reveal plenty of such cases, such as https://www.qdoscontractor.com/news/2019/03/27/lorraine-kelly-ir35-case. Many of these cases arise due to badly written laws rather than any attempt to knowingly defraud the exchequer of tax that is legally due.

    Tax avoidance is not illegal.

    Unfortunately this is an area in which journalists have shown scant regard for facts and also do not seem to be capable of doing just a little research to find out the facts. As such such journalist are effectively becoming propagandists for underhanded government activity.

    As such this article is simply sloppy journalism.

  3. Roger Charlesworth May 5, 2019 at 5:23 pm - Reply

    Mike, May has been PM with a Conflict Of Interest namely her spouse since whenever

  4. nmac064 May 6, 2019 at 9:59 am - Reply

    Corruption and Tories are one and the same.

  5. Jeffrey Davies May 6, 2019 at 7:08 pm - Reply

    Hmm ask Mays hubby sitting on the hedge fund board while picking up contracts for companies owned by edge funds hmmm traitors gate needs opening once again

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