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[Paul]

Maybe Paul has a tax dodge that takes his pension out of the tax liability calculation!

Time to publish your tax returns Paul?

Looking at the main point of this I can't help but feel Cameron is getting uneccesary grief over this. From what I read in the papers his tax looks pretty clear and he's quite entitled to receive gifts from his mother. I thought it was called tax planning.

Whether or not it's morally acceptable is a different discussion. Where Cameron went wrong was not coming clean initially and now he's being judged as both guilty and untrustworthy. I think it questions his judgement, he must have known the media and his political opponents would come after him.

The principle behind taxation needs addressing but surely we have far more important things to concern us than Cameton's tax now that he has published his returns, or at least a summary.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Didn't our beloved Jack Walker bugger off to Jersey to avoid the Tax man ?

The wealthy will always protect their wealth by any means possible.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

So Duncan and Skinner express passionate (if fractious) views for their side of the argument. Apparently one is a man of principle and there aren't enough of him about, and the other is abhorrent/appalling. And of course there's the obligatory "I hate Tories" comment from Jim which may as well be copied and pasted by now.

Regardless of the subject under discussion, this total lack of objectivity doesn't half make it tempting to take the side being fanatically attacked.

[jim mk2]

If Alan Duncan were a man of principle he would have no objection to his tax affairs being subject to public scrutiny. Norway leads the world in this respect. The assumption must be that he has something to hide.

Isis are constantly being 'fanatically attacked'. Are you taking their side too?

[K-Hod]

They act embarrassingly in the House of Lords, but seriously, Skinner making one comment about one individual, Duncan has tarred anyone who has dared to criticise those avoiding tax as someone that 'hates enterprise and is jealous of the wealthy'. I don't even think the two are slightly comparable tbh.

[Gav]

They act embarrassingly in the House of Lords, but seriously, Skinner making one comment about one individual, Duncan has tarred anyone who has dared to criticise those avoiding tax as someone that 'hates enterprise and is jealous of the wealthy'. I don't even think the two are slightly comparable tbh.

Absolutely K-Hod, Duncan, the man who today suggested that people 'who aren't millionaires' - are "low achievers." I assume thats you SKHT, its certainly me....

This tosser who gets £8k a month for as a non-executive Chairman of an Dubai oil company, for which he works 3hrs a week on top of his £75k as an MP with another £30k in expenses!

How can anyone vote for these privileged ***** from privileged backgrounds?

Only the ones that think about themselves and fook anyone else.

[jim mk2]

Absolutely K-Hod, Duncan, the man who today suggested that people 'who aren't millionaires' - are "low achievers."

This tosser who gets £8k a month for as a non-executive Chairman of an Dubai oil company, for which he works 3hrs a week on top of his £75k as an MP with another £30k in expenses!

How can anyone vote for these privileged ***** from privileged backgrounds?

The trick is to make themselves so obnoxious that people "fanatically attack" them, thus causing voters to take their side presumably because they must be doing something right (see above)

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Isis are constantly being 'fanatically attacked'. Are you taking their side too?

Comparing IS to the Conservative Party now? Surreal.

I've made this point before and I strongly doubt you're bothered but just to say it anyway. Every vitriolic, crass and one-dimensional Tory-bashing post you do takes me off the fence if I happened to be sitting on it and puts me firmly back in the Tory camp. And I seriously doubt I'm the only person it does that to, in fact the lefty intelligentsia should look closely at the last election result to see what their strong-arm tactics in browbeating people over to their side actually results in.

Do you imagine when you say "typical Tory scum" or whatever your favourite choice of vernacular is, that most people reading it who had no strong opinion think "He really hates them, they must be scum, I'd better agree or I'll be scum"? Well sorry to break it to you but I'd the more common reaction is to be repulsed by the barely qualified hatred, overbearing and generally low-intelligence level of such posts.

[jim mk2]

You'd get more respect if you just admitted you were a card-carrying Tory member. And there's nothing wrong with that - we all have our own foibles. But at least be honest instead of sitting on the fence and pretending to be non-partisan with faux intelligent arguments.

[Gav]

The trick is to make themselves so obnoxious that people "fanatically attack" them, thus causing voters to take their side presumably because they must be doing something right (see above)

Almost fell off my chair reading that, had to try hard to tone the reply down.

Corbyns salary less than Cameron or Osborne each paid in tax, nothing wrong with that but gives you some idea of the divide.

[jim mk2]

Boris Johnson published his tax affairs tonight - he's earned £2 million over the past 4 years, paying around £900,000 in tax.

This has to be the way forward for all MPs if they are ever to regain the public's trust. There's not enough transparency throughout govt and if MPs are hiding money in offshore trusts to avoid tax, the public needs to know.

Over to you Alan Duncan.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

You'd get more respect if you just admitted you were a card-carrying Tory member. And there's nothing wrong with that - we all have our own foibles. But at least be honest instead of sitting on the fence and pretending to be non-partisan with faux intelligent arguments.

I'd consider myself to have seriously personality flaws if I had your respect so brilliant if I don't, will continue as I am.

What does card carrying even mean? I'm not actually a party member if you're talking in a literal sense and I didn't even vote for them at the last election. I tend to come up down the middle in online political quizzes (81% agreement with Tories, 80% agreement with Labour on the BBC one before the last election).

But if you think its impossible to have a mixture of views please carry on. I'd imagine it sits more comfortably than the idea that the prejudice exhibited in your posts is so unpleasant that I feel dirty ever sitting in your camp.

[jim mk2]

I'll leave other people to decide on your prejudices over immigration and Muslims.

[Steve Moss]

I'll leave other people to decide on your prejudices over immigration and Muslims.

When you say "prejudices", I can't help but think you are taking issues with those who want to impose standards and/or qualifications on those who want to immigrate into the West.

[K-Hod]

Skinner is a crass dullard. Ordered out of the house, think he's a little senile.

Interesting how when it was Corbyn (who I'm not particularly a fan of for the record) getting heckled people were told to 'grow up', but Skinner is a crass dullard....

[adopted scouser]

Interesting how when it was Corbyn (who I'm not particularly a fan of for the record) getting heckled people were told to 'grow up', but Skinner is a crass dullard....

Corbyn looks like he gets his clothes from Oxfam, wants nuclear submarines in the ocean with no nuclear weapons on them ?, And doesn't sing the national anthem particularly at events remembering our war dead. Skinner looks to me like he's from the set of on the buses.

[Gav]

Interesting how when it was Corbyn (who I'm not a particular fan of for the record) getting heckled people were told to 'grow up', but Skinner is a crass dullard....

Completely different circumstances, one was PMQ's where the Tories heckle Corbyn, and Miliband before him, every week without fail, it's embarrassing.

Yesterday Cameron was forced to answer questions because of his inability to tell the truth, come clean about his tax affairs. MP's have every right to do what they did yesterday in commenting and questioning the PM, only thing Skinner did wrong was to call him dodgy, which he is by the way.

If we had more MP's like Skinner the country would be a better place to live. 83yr old and never misses a day in parliament, refused his pay rise until working people have their pay unfrozen, just a good man, principled man, a dying breed in today's politics.

[oldjamfan1]

Completely different circumstances, one was PMQ's where the Tories heckle Corbyn, and Miliband before him, every week without fail, it's embarrassing.

Yesterday Cameron was forced to answer questions because of his inability to tell the truth, come clean about his tax affairs. MP's have every right to do what they did yesterday in commenting and questioning the PM, only thing Skinner did wrong was to call him dodgy, which he is by the way.

If we had more MP's like Skinner the country would be a better place to live. 83yr old and never misses a day in parliament, refused his pay rise until working people have their pay unfrozen, just a good man, principled man, a dying breed in today's politics.

Spot on. (Btw I think The Beast is 84, just turned )

[Gav]

Corbyn looks like he gets his clothes from Oxfam, wants nuclear submarines in the ocean with no nuclear weapons on them ?, And doesn't sing the national anthem particularly at events remembering our war dead. Skinner looks to me like he's from the set of on the buses.

Are you sure you're really an adopted scouser? not sure you'd win a vote to become an adopted scouser in Liverpool supporting dodgy dave and his mates

Anyway on Corbyn and the things the matter, his clothes, I'm sure the people of Blackburn, with it being one of the most deprived towns in the country, have much more in common with a man that spends very little on his clothes, rather than a PM that spends £2k on every suit, an amount of money that would enable the Tories not to cut 1 disabled persons benefits.

[Mike E]

Completely different circumstances, one was PMQ's where the Tories heckle Corbyn, and Miliband before him, every week without fail, it's embarrassing.

Yesterday Cameron was forced to answer questions because of his inability to tell the truth, come clean about his tax affairs. MP's have every right to do what they did yesterday in commenting and questioning the PM, only thing Skinner did wrong was to call him dodgy, which he is by the way.

If we had more MP's like Skinner the country would be a better place to live. 83yr old and never misses a day in parliament, refused his pay rise until working people have their pay unfrozen, just a good man, principled man, a dying breed in today's politics.

I don't understand the mentality behind kicking him out for the word 'dodgy'.

Dodgy implies a lack of integrity imo. Something all MPs question of opposite parties throughout the year in parliament and in the media.

Yet he says it in parliament about a PM who has directly contradicted himself in public with regards to a highly political issue and gets kicked out?

Baffling. Yet Cameron is allowed to get away with belittling statements about appearance and age during PMQs all the time.

[Biddy]

I don't understand the mentality behind kicking him out for the word 'dodgy'.

Dodgy implies a lack of integrity imo. Something all MPs question of opposite parties throughout the year in parliament and in the media.

Yet he says it in parliament about a PM who has directly contradicted himself in public with regards to a highly political issue and gets kicked out?

Baffling. Yet Cameron is allowed to get away with belittling statements about appearance and age during PMQs all the time.

You might find that Cameron weasily apologised or retracted the statements if he was asked to do so at the time. A very politician way of doing things, make a crass statement and then jokingly say something like "I apologise to my learned colleague" with a smirk on his face.

Skinner was asked to retract his statement but he chose to say it again which got him kicked out.

[oldjamfan1]

I don't understand the mentality behind kicking him out for the word 'dodgy'.

Dodgy implies a lack of integrity imo. Something all MPs question of opposite parties throughout the year in parliament and in the media.

Yet he says it in parliament about a PM who has directly contradicted himself in public with regards to a highly political issue and gets kicked out?

Baffling. Yet Cameron is allowed to get away with belittling statements about appearance and age during PMQs all the time.

Dennis’s latest ejection - like most of his others over the years actually - came about because the rules of the House forbid members from questioning each others' motives or honour. All members are presumed to be honourable (I know, I know.....).

Many of the conventions of Parliament are outmoded, but I can understand why this rule is in place.

If you don't believe me, trawl through the pages of this very thread and in any particular topic, especially where politics is involved, see how long it is before someone questions someone else's motives, accuses them of some hidden agenda, or otherwise suggests they're acting in bad faith.

So a rule, or a default position, that requires all combatants to treat opponents as honourable is actually a very good way to keep debates as civil as possible.

[Biddy]

If we had more MP's like Skinner the country would be a better place to live. 83yr old and never misses a day in parliament, refused his pay rise until working people have their pay unfrozen, just a good man, principled man, a dying breed in today's politics.

Just a quick question, do we actually know what he did with the pay rise? I've just had a look and apart from comments saying he won't take it back in 2014, I can see no other mentions.

MP's can't actually refuse the payrise as such but many promised the money to Charity instead. There is website here http://www.donatemypayrise.co.uk/mp-list/which seems to track the ones that have been confirmed. Skinner is not mentioned although that doesn't mean he hasn't donated to charity, just that he hasn't declared it. It is interesting to see that there is actually a broad mix of MP's that have confirmed giving the money to charity though.

Having now read the "sources" it appears that website is also a bit crap as they are just using comments from twitter or papers so why they haven't flagged Skinner as donating, I have no idea.

Funnily enough though, even choosing to give the money to charity is tax deductible.

[T J Hooker]

Am i the only one that doesnt believe wealthy people and high earners should have to pay such high tax rates, im not political much, im more for fairness right across the board and also charging the well off so much tax only encourages them to find ways of paying as little tax as possible through whatever means available.

[VinjayV4]

Corbyn looks like he gets his clothes from Oxfam, wants nuclear submarines in the ocean with no nuclear weapons on them ?, And doesn't sing the national anthem particularly at events remembering our war dead. Skinner looks to me like he's from the set of on the buses.

Because he's a Republican. He was at the events at least why should he sing the so called national anthem? Its an absolute joke of an anthem.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/16/jeremy-corbyn-national-anthem-authenticity-queen-republican

Still I completely disagree with his weapons policy. "Never met a terrorist he didn't like"'-Richard Littlejohn.