Why drugs but not taxes?

When politicians admit to having taken class A drugs in their younger days, and are then found to have introduced policies which led to others losing their jobs for the same offence, they rightly "face accusations of hypocrisy", and hit the front pages of the country`s newspapers (Gove is branded a hypocrite after admitting using cocaine, 09.06.19). It leads to others making similar confessions, but does nothing, apparently, to prevent them continuing with their bids to become party leader and prime minister.

  It seems absurd then that far less care is taken when scrutinising the tax payments of these would-be prime ministers, and indeed, why it is not a requirement of all candidates in the race for any party leadership to make public their own, and those of their partners, recent tax records. The winner of the current race will be responsible for all tax policies in the country, from income tax rates and VAT levels, to corporate tax rates and the measures to be taken to regain the billions lost every year through tax avoidance. Yet the UK electorate has no clue whatsoever about the amount of tax paid by any of the Tory leadership candidates! Knowing more about the drugs they took over twenty years ago and nothing about how much tax they currently pay is simply ludicrous!

Paul Johnson, "IFS guru", is undoubtedly correct when saying, as quoted in Polly Toynbee`s article, that none of the candidates for Tory leadership has a "fiscal strategy" for the country, and that none of their figures add up (The Tory leadership candidates - all in denial, all in dreamland, 11/06/19). Whether this is true of their personal fiscal policies is more of a moot point, especially as none of them is prepared to make public their own tax records, let alone those of their partners, and thereby throw down the gauntlet to the others.

Ian Birrell is rightly incensed by the "sickening display of double standards"  exhibited by the candidates for the Tory leadership (The elite`s double standards on drugs, 10/06/19).The country has had enough of politicians who "say one thing and do another". How long have we been hearing about government`s aims to end tax avoidance, but seen nothing to bring back the billions which are lost every year? Finding out about politicians` drug taking in their youth is clearly important, but is it really as relevant as discovering their recent tax records, plus those of their partners?

      In fact, shouldn`t it be a prerequisite of all candidates for party leadership that recent tax records be made public? It would almost certainly have reduced the number of runners and riders in this particularly ridiculous race! Details of their recent claims for parliamentary expenses would no doubt prove enlightening also.

Ian Birrell is rightly incensed by the "sickening display of double standards"  exhibited by the candidates for the Tory leadership (The elite`s double standards on drugs, 10/06/19).The country has had enough of politicians who "say one thing and do another". How long have we been hearing about government`s aims to end tax avoidance, but seen nothing to bring back the billions which are lost every year? Finding out about politicians` drug taking in their youth is clearly important, but is it really as relevant as discovering their recent tax records, plus those of their partners?

Following Gove`s admission, as Matthew d`Ancona says, the other candidates for Tory leadership "all now have to go through the same ritual, admitting what drugs they have taken in the past" (Hard Brexit is the drug Tories need to wean themselves off, 10/06/19). What a shame the "ritual" does not also include having to make public all of the recent tax records belonging to them and their partners. Not only would it ensure the country was getting a prime minister serious about ending tax avoidance, something which up to now has clearly been missing, it would also guarantee a more sensible number of runners and riders entering the Tory race!

Most of us will have agreed with London mayor, Sadiq Khan, when he  said he found the "idea that Boris Johnson`s record as mayor was an application for the job of prime minister astonishing! (Morning Star, 02/06/19). Every time Johnson`s name appears in the press there should be in brackets a list of his ten most obvious gaffes and sexist comments. Also included should be some of excerpts from book reviews, as rightly happened when Rees-Mogg fancied himself, like Johnson, as a pseudo-historian!

       Indeed, if there was a chance that the mainstream media in this country would delve into details, rather than offering a brief summary of CVs, there most definitely not have been the ridiculous situation of thirteen (at the time of writing) candidates joining in the race to woo the approx.100,000 Tory party members.

  The party`s 1922 committee have tightened up some rules about having to have eight or so backers before entering the contest (well it is about who will be the next prime-minister!), but in a modern democratic and transparent society, regulations should be much tighter, and that goes for all the main parties. 

   The number of candidates would be seriously reduced if a requirement for entry was making public their tax records, plus those of their partners. The public have a right, too, to be made aware of recent parliamentary expense claims, the number of properties owned including those rented out, extra-parliamentary earnings and all business interests. 

The race for Tory leadership provides ample scope for ridicule, and who better than Marina Hyde to ensure that every candidate promising to "deliver Brexit" gets the Michael duly extracted (Full no-dealers take on bluffers in race not to deliver Brexit, 01/06/19)? Providing fodder for clever columnists, however entertaining the product, should not be the main purpose of the contest, which, heaven help us, is going to provide  the country`s next prime minister.

    With the runners and riders already lining up for the Lib Dem leadership too, some sensible regulation is clearly required for such competitions. How about an expectation that all leadership contenders for any party should make public all their taxation records, plus those of their  partners, and of course, their recent parliamentary expenses` claims? I can`t imagine the fields would be quite so crowded if this rule was in place!