Britain outside the EU

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

The NI development is really good news and I hope it removes the reason for Stormont not sitting. My only concern is if the ERG ultras don't like it.

From what I read in the FT, the Ukraine war has brought Europe together more so these are now far less tense negotiations. And having a more pragmatic PM is helpful too.

---------- Post added at 09:53 ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 ----------


I think a far closer relationship will occur over time - gravity of trade drives this. I believe Labour has plans to align veterinary standards to try and improve food exports to the EU.

I agree. Given the economic disaster that Brexit is, I can see EFTA alignment and then entry sooner rather than later. With the percentage of voters thinking it was wrong to Leave approaching 60%, EU alignment in some form is inevitable.

It is sort of ironic that the handling of Leave by the Party that spawned it, will accelerate its demise.

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

A bit like the EEC or similar then.

Probably a modified version of something like that.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Damien

Probably a modified version of something like that [EEC].

The EEC was good news.

[pip08456]

London and Brussels have secured a breakthrough in the corrosive dispute over Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading relations, clearing the way for a new push to resolve the longstanding issue.

After months of deadlock and acrimony, the UK and EU issued a joint statement proclaiming a tentative deal that would give Brussels access to the UK’s IT systems for trade across the Irish Sea.

The statement described the talks between James Cleverly, UK foreign secretary, and Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission vice-president, as “cordial and constructive”. An EU official said: “It’s looking good.”

Cleverly and Šefčovič will meet again on January 16, with EU and UK officials hoping the two sides could agree shortly afterwards to enter a final negotiating “tunnel” to resolve significant outstanding issues.

https://www.ft.com/content/e8244ef7-...e-2910e70294ca

[1andrew1]

UK tax billions go uncollected as staff tackle Covid fraud and Brexit

Stretched HMRC resources transferred to other work instead of enforcing compliance

Billions of pounds of tax are being left uncollected in the UK because almost 2,300 HM Revenue & Customs tax compliance staff have been transferred to work on Brexit and Covid-19 schemes.

Victoria Atkins, the Treasury minister, acknowledged in response to ministerial questions that 1,043 HMRC tax compliance staff had been assigned to work on Brexit cases in the 2021-22 tax year. She added that a further 1,250 staff, who would normally be working on recovering unpaid taxes, have been moved to working on Covid-19 loan schemes — which have been subject to fraud.

“Civil servants are being moved from one crisis to another in a constant game of whack-a-mole, leaving taxes uncollected and public services deprived of cash,” said the Liberal Democrat party, which put the questions to Atkins.

Atkins revealed that £30.7bn had been recovered through compliance efforts in 2021-22 compared with £36.9bn in 2019-20, the year before the pandemic fully hit, a fall of more than £6bn.

https://www.ft.com/content/63ce3722-...d-0ae666e69b3c

[tweetiepooh]

Is the problem with the HMRC or the criminals stealing from the public purse?


And are lower recovering figure due to less staff or people earning less due to the pandemic so less being needed to be recovered?Stats can be made to say anything.

Yeah, there’s a whiff of victim-blaming about this. It’s actually the pursuit of tax avoidance that’s at issue, and ultimately the blame for tax avoidance lies with the tax avoider.

You wouldn’t know that from the FT though, which has chosen to regurgitate a Lib Dem press release instead of doing any actual journalism here. The way they talk about tax going uncollected you would think there was a fundamental problem with the way they issue tax demands or maintain self assessment systems.

Originally Posted by tweetiepooh

Is the problem with the HMRC or the criminals stealing from the public purse?


And are lower recovering figure due to less staff or people earning less due to the pandemic so less being needed to be recovered? Stats can be made to say anything.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statis...nnual-bulletin

Total annual receipts in the tax year 2021 to 2022

HMRC collected £714.8 billion in taxes in 2021 to 2022, an increase of 22.4% from the year before.

[ianch99]

Just to confirm:

Treasury minister Victoria Atkins said nearly 1,250 tax compliance officers, who would usually investigate tax dodging and non-compliance, were redeployed to work on Covid-19 pandemic schemes in 2021-22.

Another 1,040 were shifted to handle matters relating to the UK’s departure from the EU, she said in response to ministerial questions.

Tax revenue recovered through compliance work was £30.8 billion in 2021-22, down £6 billion from 2019-20, Ms Atkins said.

Clear redirection of HMRC resources away from tax compliance. Another Brexit benefit ..

Originally Posted by ianch99

Clear redirection of HMRC resources away from tax compliance. Another Brexit benefit ..

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by ianch99

Just to confirm:



Clear redirection of HMRC resources away from tax compliance. Another Brexit benefit ..

Of course HMRC staff have to be deployed on handling Brexit - a democratically determined event.

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Of course HMRC staff have to be deployed on handling Brexit - a democratically determined event.

Your point? You are welcoming the additional loss of tax revenues in addition to the losses already in place due to the Hard Brexit.

Given the state of the country, I am surprised people celebrate the loss of monies that are so desperately needed.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by ianch99

Your point? You are welcoming the additional loss of tax revenues in addition to the losses already in place due to the Hard Brexit.

Given the state of the country, I am surprised people celebrate the loss of monies that are so desperately needed.

My point is simple. You're a sour Remainer. Leaving the EU, which we decided to do, requires adjustments to taxation at various levels.

And, where have I "welcomed" anything? You really are sour.

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Of course HMRC staff have to be deployed on handling Brexit - a democratically determined event.

So was tackling tax evasion and reducing opportunities for aggressive tax avoidance…

https://www.conservatives.com/our-pl...manifesto-2019

[GrimUpNorth]

Originally Posted by Hugh

So was tackling tax evasion and reducing opportunities for aggressive tax avoidance…

https://www.conservatives.com/our-pl...manifesto-2019

But they got Brexit done!