Zac Goldsmith

[ItsGrimUpNorth]

I'm sorry but how can anyone vote for someone who only gave up their non dom status during the election campaign? How does someone like that contribute to Britain? He only became a tax payer because of the election. To me, that is a scum person.

And whilst he roundly won his seat, why did he have that gurning hooray behind him during the announcements? That, I have to say, was one of my favourite moments of the election, watching that berk's face. Could you get any more Tory?

Actually, I know some jolly nice rich people and even some nice Tories. But the ones I know aren't ripping everyone else off by failing to pay their fair share of taxes (or at least they aren't admitting it to me...)

Like edam, I have some very lovely rich friends. And some of them are Tories. They all pay all their taxes though and never complain about it which is probably why I like them

'As a result they pay no UK tax on their earnings or capital gains outside the UK.'

I live in Belgium, and thus, if I earn money here, will pay no UK tax on it, as I would pay Belgian tax. Should I pay tax twice on it?

You need to look at the HMRC website to see what it says about non-doms, rather than the BBC, as it isn't as simple as the BBC would have you believe.

scary, isn't that double taxation rather than non dom status?

Yes it is ilovemydog. There are specific laws regarding double taxation. If you are non-dom you can move your assets to a favourable tax haven (eg Cayman Islands) so that you don't pay any tax whatsoever on them. Given that you pay the UK government £30k a year for the joy of having assets which are non-dom, it's fair to assume that those who make use of the loophole have vast earnings to make that worth their while

By the way, just came across this, and also read somewhere else that though he says he's habitually resident in the UK, he is actually domiciled in France? Trying to find the link.

But he's just been divorced because of adultery and he's admitted it. Nice man!!

Scary, I really don't think you are thick enough to think non-doms like Goldsmith are in any way comparable to people who actually live abroad and pay tax abroad. My problem - and one shared by very many people - is with Goldsmith and his ilk ripping off the UK taxpayer and especially with Goldsmith having the the bare-faced cheek to become an MP and tell the rest of us how much tax we have to pay.

Of course that's not at all comparable with a British citizen who lives in Belgium and pays taxes in Belgium. Good grief.

For all I know, Goldsmith might be a very nice chap indeed (although it'd be an interesting result given his gene pool and reports of his private life suggest otherwise). But his political and financial morals are definitely in question.

What I am concerned about is his lack of sensitivity in pronouncements about local state schools - for example that he wouldn't send his children to the local comp about to turn into academy and that they should have closed it for a year then somehow re-engineered the intake. That was possible for the local CofE school but not otherwise possible under the admissions code. Whatever the problems of the school, (1) you can't dump the existing pupils on to the streets and (2) has he ever sincerely thought of sending his kids to ANY state school?

I think he looks like princess Diana by the way.

I don't know if he approved the conservative leaflets for the council elections but they kept referring to ' 12 years of the lib dems' when the conservatives actually ran the council in 2002 to 2006. During this time the other local school in the area went into special measures. This was after the school had asked the council for a temporary assistant head to cover long term sickness but they didn't get it.

So the conservative council's bad track record on helping schools coupled with Zac Goldsmith's complete insensitivity and lack of experience worry me more than his tax status.

Muminlondon - The stats I recall were than the LibDems had controlled the council 20 out of the last 24 years.

On the LibDem leaflet - I thought Vince Cable's statement that his children had attended local schools interesting. But I guess strictly speaking Hampton and LEH are local .

So many bitter angry women here with some issues and resentment who have very little undesrtanding on tax issues, ethics and politics. Agree on many points with amicissima. The rest - please invest in some HTP supplement, agnus cactus and gota cola to balance your hormones and moods...then perhaps the brain power will kick in and unreasonable anger will subside. And the civilized discussion might take place. Good Luck. From Richmond with love and support to Mr. Goldsmith. We won.

Don't cha just love him.....he has money oozing out of every pore in his body...

Mmmmmm

Oh good point. I'm just bitter and angry

Anyone interested in Richmond matters might want to take a look at this thread.

Richhmond-upon-Thames-great-primaries-shite-secondaries-Discuss

Maybe Zac is a MNetter

Alisa, I really hope you're wearing a hard hat....

I also live in the Richmond park and N. Kingston constituency and voted Lib Dem. About a week before the election I was with my daughter doing some shopping locally, We saw some big sandwich boards with his face on them, daughter said " Ugh that's Zac Goldsmith isn't it?" She then promptly tripped over him (the real life one not the picture) He looked slightly terrified and ran across the street.

I couldn't vote for him, he is a cheat and probably has no concept of the real world coming from such a hugely privileged background. I seem to recall that he was thrown out of Eton after a stash of marijuana was found in his room.. wonder if he inhaled ;)

MsDav

Most people living In Richmond are millionaires...you have to be to afford to live there...he therefore represents his constituency very well...

My dd is at uni in Twickenham, we have been looking at property in the Richmond and Twickenham area...

We would need a million to get what we need.

daftpunk, I am most certainly not a millionaire and I don't know anyone personally who is amongst my group of friends. Plenty of houses well below 400K here. Perhaps you might not get a riverside 5 bedroomed jobby for less than that but really you are talking nonsense as ever.

Find me a decent 4 bedroom house in Richmond or Twickenham (with a nice garden) for less than £400k and I'll be there in half an hour...

Tempting daftpunk, I assume there will be a comission for my services? here you go www.findaproperty.com/displayprop.aspx?edid=00&salerent=0&pid=4711540

Now you just make sure you stay on that side of the river, don't want your vile BNP rubbish over here mmmkay?

I don't want anything on a main road, next to a pub or charity shop, or near a railway line.

PMSl at Charity Shop are you having a wee troll again daftpunk?

This is what we're after

here

Well you seem aware of how much a house of that type would cost in Kew, if you can't afford it then you have to revise your options. Nevertheless you know fine well that your statement that most people living in Richmond are millionaires is pure drivel.

That's my problem, I find it hard to dumb down....I know what I want, and if I can't have it I'll just stay here. Our house has only been valued at 420k...I could go and ask Barclays for £500,000 I suppose, but I have a feeling they would tell me to go away, once they'd stopped laughing.

You're lucky to live in Richmond.