TAX AVOIDANCE PROPOSALS ARE THIN END OF WEDGE.

A long-standing principle of British law has been that there is a clear difference between 'tax evasion' and 'tax avoidance'. It has also been an accepted principal of the same law that 'the law is the law', in other words, the law is interpreted as it is written.

Now, all that is set to change. The Government is proposing to introduced sever penalties for anyone who advises people how to avoid tax; note, that this is about the wholly legal 'avoidance' rather than the clearly illegal 'evasion'. As the responsible department, the Treasury plans to introduce new rules designed to stop people using loopholes which were 'never intended' in the original legislation, in order to "root out" tax avoidance at source.

No one seems to be very bothered about this and yet it is an astonishing advance in the powers of the state. No longer will legislation have to be properly written, it will be sufficient for it to have an 'intention'. Separately, something which is absolutely legal in itself, tax avoidance, will be fully criminalised, even though successive Governments have actually introduced measures that specifically promote avoidance in schemes such as ISAs and SIPPs. Effectively, tax avoidance will no longer exist outside of approved Government schemes; all other avoidance will be treated as evasion, whatever the law actually says..

If the proposed measures do come into effect, it will be the beginning of the end for democracy and law in this country. Subsequently, any Government will be able to claim that anyone is in breach of any law because whatever they've done was 'intended'  to be outlawed, even if the relevant statute doesn't actually say so. Those who frame our legislation will become increasingly sloppy in its formation, relying on this principal to cover up their incompetence.

I find this shocking, appalling and terrifying. Why is there so little fuss about it ?

CAMERON'S HONOURS : "YOU SHOOK MY HAND ? HAVE A GONG !"

Stories about David Cameron's 'Resignation Honours list' have hit the news and, if true, show just how corrupt the UK honours' system is.

Cameron has reportedly proposed honours for an assortment of lackeys, a large number of whom seem to have been his personal supporters. Again, if true, this shows just what type of man Cameron is, one who will eschew genuine service for the country and, instead, reward those who were simply

'on his side'.

Everyone knows that the honours' system is a farce. Although those who control it will point to the thousands of 'ordinary people' who receive gongs, they don't mention that these almost all receive the lowest awards. The higher honours are reserved for time-serving civil servants, politicians past and present, and sport and media 'stars'. Many of these people have accrued considerable wealth from their careers and have done no more than do their job. Many of the political figures seem to almost expect to become 'Sir' or 'Lady' after a few years of parliamentary membership, while elevation to the peerage comes as a reward for being a good party member.

When pop singers, television personalities, sports' personalities and an assortment of others who have done little other than to enrich themselves while also doing what they love doing, are rewarded with medals and titles, it is obvious that the system is broken. Cameron's proposals, if as reported, just reinforce the case for wholesale reform of what has become nothing other than a mechanism for showering one's mates and various populist figures with ill-deserved favours.

It is time to do away with this antiquated system, along with the concept of an appointed 'Upper House' in parliament. These things belong to a bygone era and have no place in the modern world.