Cameron on Carr: "it's morally wrong".

Cameron on Philip Green: "I won't comment on an individual's taxes".

The trouble with that is that everything done is perfectly legal. There is no law against setting up a service company. Tax laws on company income, profits etc are equally clear cut, as are the provisions regarding offshore taxation, non-doms tax position etc.

What I think HMRC don't do properly (and maybe this is the more specific legislation they need, I'm no expert) is catch what I'd call "associated operations". In the case of Jimmy Carr, how that would work is to look at the reality of the situation, which is that in truth, people are paying lots of money to watch Jimmy Carr, and Jimmy Carr is receiving that money as an income. If that much is clear (as in his case it seems to be) then all you need is HMRC to have the power to choose to tax him as if he was being paid it personally in cash, and choose not to tax it as it would if all the associated operations by which the cash arrives at the same place but via a circuitous route, were the correct taxable vehicle. These would instead be deemed associated operations and while not illegal, not effective for tax purposes.

However, I'd like to think that any such cases would start with the biggest fiddlers.

The question of legality is probably not black and white. The peddlars of these schemes get Counsel;s opnion but an opinion is just that. I am sure if HMG want to they can make a case that many of these are illegal. I hope they do and I hope not just the Carr's of this world but the people who push them get punished accordingly.

I wonder if Cameron considers that his father was 'Morally wrong'? Cameron seniors fortune was made providing exactly the type of service that Carr took advantage of, including schemes based in Jersey! Cameron himself inherited some of the millions that his father left and only his UK inheritance was declared. Cameron has made an individuals tax arrangements a matter for public debate now and Id therefore like him to clarify whether he has benefited or indeed still retains any tax efficient off shore accounts. PMQ subject perhaps?

From what I heard in a radio discussion yesterday, the main problem centres around HMRC's legal budget for counsel's opinion. Quite often it has been spent by the end of June each year, so they're running "in the dark" for nine months

On Twitter's 'Twop Twips'DAVID CAMERON. Use the extra daylight today to have a fu[ic[/iking long hard look at yourself.'"

rlI like this.rl

There are many people easily pleased and willing to spend their hard earned on this unfunny character IMHO.'"

Camoron's response when asked by Tom Bradby what he thought of Gary Barlow's tax situation I made an exception yesterday because it was a very specific case where the details seem to have been published and it was a particularly egregious example of an avoidance scheme that seemed to me to be wrong and I made that clear.

I think the rules of the road here should be pretty frank. Tax evasion is illegal and should be pursued with all vigour by the authorities[/i

So what about Ashcroft's tax situation then Dave? There's been plenty published about that

What about your father's tax situation? You know, the one you benefited to the tune of £300k from

Apparently No 10 are "considering" publishing the tax affairs of ministers - yeah right

Sign of the times, mediocrity is seen as genius these days.'"

Oh, and Cameron is a bell end.

Which current comedian(s) would you pay your money to go watch?

Not saying he's brilliant by the way, just that whenever a comedian is mentioned on here, there's a steady stream of posters afterwards saying how unfunny they are.'"

Agreed, so is his mate Gideon and the likes of Gove are f'kin 'dangerous'

Quite like Kevin Bridges, but in the main I am old school and still think the likes of Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecombe, Bob Monkhouse (politics apart) deserved the 'genius' title.

I often watch comedy shows on telly and you often see a really funny one, but I tend top forget their names.'"

The ones I was brought up on are mostly no longer here, the likes of Bill Hicks, Andy Kaufman and the old stager Jack Burns. I am not too familiar with current American comedians.