Danny Alexander avoided Capital Gains Tax

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According to a new Telegraph story.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/liberal-democrat-mps-expenses/7787519/Danny-Alexand er-new-Treasury-chief-avoided-capital-gains-tax-on-house.html

Seems they basically ignored the Lib Dems first time round, because they just weren't important enough, and are getting their pound of flesh now.

Hopefully this outright hypocrisy by the new Chief Secretary will kill off the insane Lib Dem plans to hike Capital Gains tax once and for all.

and if we said he had to pay CGT on the London flat he sold within three years, it really would be one law for the people and one for the politicians! Danny Alexander is entitled not to have to pay CGT like anyone else.

Whether we like it or not, Labour used taxpayers money to rescue the banks and the markets are now using the debts to force austerity and make us feel we have no choices. We can't just sit and applaud this government because the politicans (Labour, Liberal or Tory) are all the same. We have to make sure that if we don't like academies we insist on consultation. They call it big society but a school can become an academy on the say so of governors - how democratic, how big society, is that?

rarebite, and if the markets decide to just call in what we owe them? You don't call the shots when you're that much in debt.

Vesela, The markets can't just call in what we owe. These are negotiated agreements like a mortgage.

I don't claim we can call the shots but I do believe that we shouldn't put too much trust in the coalition. No party won a majority and therefore there is no mandate.

Liberal and Labour agreed that we needed growth before cuts or we would risk a double dip recession. To gain power Liberals flipped and supported cuts (using the flimsy Greek excuse!). So we can't trust the Liberals, Labour for whatever reason ran up the debts and Tories just love cutting far too much.

I am therefore suggesting you keep an eye on what is happening to your local schools and be sure you are happy with it - this is hardly calling the shots - but it is not just rolling over and saying we have to take the pain of austerity without questioning choices made. For example, is it better to put up taxes - and if so which ones? There are choices.

"The markets can't just call in what we owe. These are negotiated agreements like a mortgage".

Exactly - But more like a variable rate mortgage - and the market sets the interest rate (at least for any additional borrowing we need to make).

And are we powerless just because we have a mortgage - no we have choices.

Danny Alexander is an intelligent and compassionate politician. He is just the sort of person we want in the Treasury, if we care about social values and the less well off, schools, the NHS and communities

He bought a house in his constituency in 2005, when he was elected MP, and designated his london flat as his second home for parliamentary purposes.

He sold the flat in 2007, within the three years that we all get to sell our (what was) primary residence.

He did not flip deliberately, the connection to Hazel Blears is false.

I think the Telegraph want another election, and that they are hoping for a more right-wing government to protect the rich and soak the rest of us.

The Telegraph deserve no credit for this their latest witch hunt.

Hi all, first post, I'm a granny - is that ok?

welcome clouty, great first post. Keep up the blistering style, but one question are you Danny Alexander's granny?

Claig - I was going to ask that .

Welcome to Mumsnet Clouty.

This is pure sour grapes by the Telegraph because the Tories didn't win outright. Perhaps the values they are now displaying might explain why. I am supportive of the Tories, and the coalition Government, but I have no time at all for the whinging bunch of right wingers trying to bring the Govt to its knees before it's even started.

Nooo waay am I any politicians granny, claig, my dad used to say "Politicians? Lowest form of life" which is a bit harsh, but I know what he means, and the reasons behind his statement are exactly what's wrong with the way we are governed now.

My dad was once offered a safe Labour seat.

A friend of mine (a constituent of his) asked Danny Alexander for help, and he really did his job. I've seen some of his work, that's all.

I think the overall message from the electorate was that we do not want any one party to be able to ride roughshod over their opposition supporters. We want a more stable and balanced management system for the United Kingdom. Would anyone agree?