Region's Tory MEPs back super-rich tax dodgers - Watson (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

Region's Tory MEPs back super-rich tax dodgers - Watson

March 12, 2009 5:49 PM

The South West Liberal Democrat MEP Graham Watson slammed two of the region's Tory MEPs (Giles Chichester and Caroline Jackson) for failing to back measures to stop the super-rich avoiding paying their share of taxes whilst hard working families do.

Commenting today Graham Watson said-

"If ever proof were needed that for all of David Cameron's spin the Tories haven't changed, this is it. Voting against this simple measure to crack down on tax havens, is a kick in the teeth for hard working tax-payers. It's a disgrace that low and middle income earners struggling with the credit crunch pay a higher whack of their income in tax than the super-rich.

When in power the Tories oversaw tax hikes which rose for the poor far faster than they did for the rich. It appears the West's Tory MEPs Giles Chichester and Caroline Jackson are happy for the super-rich to pay fancy accountants to exploit tax loopholes whilst everyone else foots the bill!

The Tories' economic plans are ill-thought out and irresponsible and could make the tax system even more unfair. Neither Labour nor the Tories are committed to closing the loopholes and unfair exemptions enjoyed by the wealthy. It's ordinary people and families that really need the tax breaks."