A response to Janan Ganesh
by Tony Yates / April 18, 2016 / Leave a comment
Police guard the entrance of the Mossack Fonseca offices in Peru during a raid in Lima, the country’s capital, on 11th April, 2016. Apparently while their colleagues looked for evidence that Peruvians used the firm as a means of avoiding tax ©NEWZULU/Carlos Garcia Granthon/NEWZULU/PA Images
Read more: Should all MPs publish their tax returns?
The media is stuffed with argument and outrage about the Panama Papers. Many people are trying to ascertain the new things we know and don’t know about our tax law and the tax affairs of David Cameron’s Father. We have been plunged into a national debate about the ethical standards to which our leaders should adhere; and what should inform the tax code.
Janan Ganesh touched on key parts of the debate in his recent column for the Financial Times. One such part is the idea that some of our tax law is unfair. Another is that the debate has been partly about the fact that life is unfair, since some people are rich, and others become rich by inheriting. Finally, there is outrage that our politicians might not be playing fair, using the letter of the tax law to their own advantage, just like the rest of us could.
You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don't worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, si mply by entering your email address in the box below.
When you register we'll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we'll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time
Prospect takes your privacy seriously. We promise never to rent or sell your e-mail address to any third party.
You can unsubscribe from the Prospect e-mail newsletter at any time.
