So... Politics? Anyone???

[Kezzieboy]

Funny that there seems to be a North/South divide (or rather South East/Everywhere Else divide) in this discussion.

I don't think anyone thinks all of London has been unaffected, it's that the City of London and Westminster seem to be untouched. Politicians get a pay rise, the financial sector goes on unregulated, bankers who had a pivotal role in the crash keep their jobs (and enormous wages), the top earners double their wealth in the years directly following the crash...it's as if the whole thing never happened for them.

Sadly Chris' argument is partly correct, but that doesn't mean we should be combating tax avoidance. We have actual off-shore tax havens under our regulatory control; the Channel Islands, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands. Why aren't we working together, at least in the EU if not the world to help force the wealthy to make their contribution to society?

I don't mean you, Chris, much as you bemoan the fact you have to pay taxes (even though it pays for your wages, education and healthcare), you are not the target of all this. The target are those earning 10x or 100x or more even than that of what you earn, and pay less tax as a percentage of their wealth. Does that not piss you off?