I have to say my first reaction to this was anger, that these ‘Top Tories’ would think that enough of the voting population would be shallow enough not to see through such an obvious election bribe. Maybe they’re right, but it’s a more than a little desperate, isn’t it and very much targeted at the at-risk Blue Wall. Noone likes paying Stamp Duty, and noone’s family likes paying IHT. But they would of course, be stealthily replaced by, respectively, some other form of transaction and gift tax, the argument being that both would bring us more in line with other countries’ systems. Rejoining the World rather than asserting our independence. Cynical? Moi?
“TV presenter wins 10-year IR35 battle against HMRC”
The infamous ‘IR35’ dates from the Gordon Brown (kids etc.) era. It was intended to stop contractors effectively working for companies as if self-employed and avoiding many of the costs, NI for one, of being employed; for both the non-employee and employer.
