This was Bill Etherington MP in an interview with David Grossman on BBC Newsnight.
Etherington: "We were told we were going to be judged on what the claim was under the regulations at the time. Now, Sir Thomas Legg has decided to change that retrospectively. Retrospective legislation has a very poor record and has caused us a lot of trouble. That denudes the whole process of its legitimacy.
Grossman: "You yourself have signed Commons EDMs calling for
retrospective taxes on City bonuses.."Etherington: "I don't think I have actually. Can you be sure of this?
Grossman: "Yes, we checked before we came out.."
Etherington: "Retrospective taxes?"
Grossman: "On City bonuses and on Centrica profits and on energy company profits.."
Etherington: "Yes, but that was me putting pressure on the Government. You know what Early Day Motions are about. None of them are ever acted upon. They are declarations of intent."
Good grief!
Although dizzy points out the ineffectiveness of the EDM (which I believe was used to try and address the controversial tax IR35), I am more concerned about the complete lack of concern of saying the much accused, and denied by them, statement of "rules only apply to the little people, not to me".
This is exactly the type of outrageous entitlement and disconnect they have with the world outside the ivory tower. They are so ingrained in this type of thinking that they don’t even bother to lie or obfuscate their words in public now.
Rather like the BBC no longer bothering to pretend to be impartial.
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In the real world, say one of the big car plants, if 646 members of the staff were suspected of possibly taking something they're not really entitled to, say 1-10 cars each, then wouldn't the police have been called in by now. How is this different apart from piffling legal technicalities. If most of the country sees them as common thieves then the system has collapsed and the whole bloody lot of them should be booted out instantly without futher wages or pensions. They're are all guilty of bringing the system down, let them reap what they have sown and stick it on their CVs and let them remain unemployable forever.
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