Rishi Sunak’s wife is NOT elected OR in a public role but she is a woman

[BigGreenSpacehopper]

Have you noticed that Zac Goldsmith (elected), Mark Carney (role of significance to all of us as Govenor of the Bank of England), 4th Viscount Rothmere (controlling shareholder and Chair of the Daily Mail) all have non Dom status but no mention is really made. However, a woman, who has no public role, has never said anything public, is being criticised for her non Dom status?

And yes she’s getting massive dividends but I imagine as it’s family money there is a massive pre-nup in place so it’s not like Rishi will be able to run off with it!

He can declare it himself, directly to the Register.

If you separate the decision on what gets published to another group then it’s better imo.

It takes his personal view out of it by a further step

I know people are still reacting to the story and think it’s wrong for other reasons - as is up to them I’m not saying they can’t. But I would prefer separate decision making.

So according to ‘Guido Fawkes’ She filed some receipts for Xmas cards a bit late.

Not just Xmas cards - other donations totalling £30,352 - and there is a link to the commissioner's findings, not just 'according to Guido Fawkes.'

when you have to resort to frantically looking for other MPs

Rachel Reeves is shadow chancellor - not just any old MP. Somewhat embarrassing for her.

@MarshaBradyo

Seriously, if he followed all the rules etc then what is all the fuss and why did his wife decide to change where she pays tax?

Is a good question

It’s still created political damage even if he followed process - he doesn’t decide if it’s published or not, but for those who leaked it they’ve hit him pretty hard so it achieves that aim

If Sunak had nothing to hide, there wouldn't have been anything to leak. If Sunak thought it was all above board, why has he not been honest and upfront about the arrangements?

[quote Fulmine]@Clavinova, when you have to resort to frantically looking for other MPs who could be accused of minor breaches of the rules, you are effectively putting up a big flashing sign that Sunak's conduct is unacceptable and you can't defend it, so you're trying to distract attention from it. It's really easy to read.[/quote]
The best argument that the defenders of Sunak, Boris and others ever seem to be able to come up with is "But Jeremy Corbyn" or some equivalent of the same. This government is so bereft of anything positive to say about it that even those that support it slavishly can't find anything good to say.

Sorry, @Clavinova, none of that remotely compares to evading millions in tax or having a green card whilst serving as an MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Must try harder.

@Fulmine

Sorry, *@Clavinova*, none of that remotely compares to evading millions in tax or having a green card whilst serving as an MP and Chancellor of the Exchequer. Must try harder.

The equivalence is not important, any old squirrel will do when you have nothing positive to say about the party that you so devoutly defend.

But Rachel Reeves did register them, just late. Points to an admin error rather than fraud, what would she stand to gain? Unlike others in question, who never declared. Why?

Not just Xmas cards - other donations totalling £30,352 - and there is a link to the commissioner's findings, not just 'according to Guido Fawkes.'

So we have Sunak, who personally benefited from millions via his wifes tax avoidance (and who makes up the rules) vs Reeves who failed to register 30k.... mmmmm

....once again Clav, No cigar.

If Sunak had nothing to hide, there wouldn't have been anything to leak
If Sunak thought it was all above board, why has he not been honest and upfront about the arrangements?

It goes back to what the established process is

Start the job - you must declare all COI which he does, but he doesn’t decide what is published.

Someone decides to broadcast which has been effective as a story people are interested in

@MarshaBradyo

If Sunak had nothing to hide, there wouldn't have been anything to leak If Sunak thought it was all above board, why has he not been honest and upfront about the arrangements?

It goes back to what the established process is

Start the job - you must declare all COI which he does, but he doesn’t decide what is published.

Someone decides to broadcast which has been effective as a story people are interested in

You seem to be missing the point, if Sunak thinks it is perfectly acceptable for his wife not to pay tax as you or I do, then why is he the least bit worried that people know that his wife doesn't pay tax?

My response to the pp firstly was about process as the claim was it hadn’t been followed. It has.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other big issues for Sunak politically due to this - because of all the reasons people are posting.

Whoever did it didn’t want him to be unscathed, and it has hit him.

Someone decides to broadcast which has been effective as a story people are interested in

People are interested (i'd call it anger) as we (the general public) do not have access to the means to avoid tax as his family do, at a time when most of us face rising taxation, huge cost rises, perhaps unprecedented, as unlike the 70s, these are not matched by wage increases plus its all followed by 12 years of wage stagnation.

There is still such a thing as "Lead by Example"

How anyone outside of the Tory faithful (or the very rich) can seek to defend this, is beyond me

'This government is so bereft of anything positive to say about it that even those that support it slavishly can't find anything good to say.'

I can find lots of positive things to say. The handling of the pandemic, furlough, vaccines, opening up the economy when Labour were flapping and wanting is to stay locked up, leading the support of Ukraine etc etc..

I mean yes thank god Jezza and his ragtag bunch of misfits didn't get in, it's always worth saying.

@MarshaBradyo

My response to the pp firstly was about process as the claim was it hadn’t been followed. It has.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other big issues for Sunak politically due to this - because of all the reasons people are posting.

Whoever did it didn’t want him to be unscathed, and it has hit him.

But if Sunak has done nothing wrong, it would not have hit him.

I expect there has been some busy paperwork checking over this past weekend by all parties!!

Crikeyalmighty
@ Clavinova — yes there was a huge hoo ha about this simply because Danes are so upfront — big difference though is he was genuinely living in 2 places and back and forward. Non Dom isn’t allowed here unless you are here on a short secondment or as Stephen kinnock was genuinely between two places— you lose a job in parliament here for anything even slightly dodgy - even 200 euros equivalent false expenses claim. Sunak would be out here. That’s how it is

Yes - it was fortunate that Stephen Kinnock spent more time in Switzerland where income tax was 15% - and less time in Denmark where tax was 63%. It was very generous of him to offer to pay £40,000 in tax he didn't owe (one year's worth of tax) to save his wife's career. Nevertheless, Helle Thorning Schmidt did admit to making a ‘big and sloppy error’ by giving incorrect information to the Danish authorities. The couple were cleared of tax evasion (they were investigated) but if you read the Wikipedia link it seems that HTS had also made use of tax deductions applicable to her husband [from 2000 to 2008] even though he was not subject to Danish taxes and had no income in Denmark. Despite some meddling in her tax affairs from opposition rivals she had to cough up some money for this 'mistake' as well.

even 200 euros equivalent false expenses claim. Sunak would be out here
I assume HTS had to pay more than 200 euros for the second 'mistake' and she went on to become Prime Minister of Denmark. As far as I am aware, Rishi Sunak and his wife have not actually been found to have broken any tax rules.

Not forgetting of course that Stephen Kinnock and Helle Thorning Schmidt travelled hundreds of miles to Wales to deliver a birthday cake to his dad during the first lockdown. And when HTS appeared on BBC Question Time last month (as former prime minister of Denmark) her sneery rebuff of the UK's assistance to Ukraine was cheered by remainers/rejoiners on social media.

@JaniieJones

'This government is so bereft of anything positive to say about it that even those that support it slavishly can't find anything good to say.'

I can find lots of positive things to say. The handling of the pandemic, furlough, vaccines, opening up the economy when Labour were flapping and wanting is to stay locked up, leading the support of Ukraine etc etc..

I mean yes thank god Jezza and his ragtag bunch of misfits didn't get in, it's always worth saying.

Has the UK government decided to be leading in its support for Ukrainian refugees?

The handling of the pandemic was so successful that the UK has been impacted by it more than other similar countries, thrashing the economy by more than other countries, wasting billions on fraud and contracts for mates to do nothing.

And then we get to but Jeremy Corbyn, so really you didn't have anything positive to say about the government. Because if you did, you would not say about Corbyn or Labour flapping.

But if Sunak has done nothing wrong, it would not have hit him.

He correctly followed process. ie he declared COI.

That doesn’t mean people won’t be angry or upset, as pp put they still are.

My post was about process only and questioning where people had heard it hadn’t been followed.

Outside that if people think it’s still wrong, up to them.

I’m neutral on it rather than ‘defending’ -interested in the facts and find political media storms fascinating, thought the cartoons recently were funny, but all this behind the scene political wrangling is interesting to me.

I'd think the same as would many if Rishi was married to a man. Might be legal but sure is immoral.

Despite some meddling in her tax affairs from opposition rivals she still had to cough up some money for this 'mistake' as well.

@Clavinova

Despite some meddling in her tax affairs from opposition rivals she still had to cough up some money for this 'mistake' as well.

@Clavinova I am not entirely clear what you are saying. Is it your view that politicians should be straight with the public and honest and transparent in their tax affairs? And that if they are not they should resign?

Despite some meddling in her tax affairs from opposition rivals...

Opposition rivals? Is that what the Cabinet call eachother?😆😆😆

@MarshaBradyo

But if Sunak has done nothing wrong, it would not have hit him.

He correctly followed process. ie he declared COI.

That doesn’t mean people won’t be angry or upset, as pp put they still are.

My post was about process only and questioning where people had heard it hadn’t been followed.

Outside that if people think it’s still wrong, up to them.

I’m neutral on it rather than ‘defending’ -interested in the facts and find political media storms fascinating, thought the cartoons recently were funny, but all this behind the scene political wrangling is interesting to me.

Yes, political wranglings (and we haven’t been left in short supply over the last few years) and media reporting/feeding is interesting to me.

Opposition rivals?

From a different political party.

The leak didn't come from a different political party @Clavinova, it came from opposition rivals in his own.