A TAXING QUESTION! (weekly poem)

A TAXING QUESTION! 

HSBC bank has been assisting clients to avoid paying tax.

Ex-Chairman, Stephen Green, was subsequently appointed

a Lord and  a Government Trade Minister by David Cameron

The HSBC bank’s helped some,

Avoid their due in tax;

Despite the Government’s bold claim, (1)

(Which looks increasingly quite lame!)

They’d filled tax loophole cracks.

To all us decent working folk,

It’s come as no surprise;

Although we are still quite appalled,

That once again the wool’s been pulled,                               

Right over all our eyes!

“We’re all in this together” says,

The P.M. to the poor,

But all the wealthy have the means

To hire the bank world’s ‘Stephen Greens’,

To show them how to score.

But then again they work so hard,

With all their shares and stocks;

The wealthy are entitled to,

Some extra tax-free revenue,

To ease all life’s hard knocks!

And the reaction to all this,

The tax-avoidance stink?

Then best you ask that paragon,

That well-known tax-avoiding Con,

The aptly named Lord Fink! (2)

“Why everybody does it” claims,

The good Lord, who’s true Blue;

And who re Miliband’s tax crack,

Has chosen to cut him some slack,

And now says he won’t sue.

What would we do without the rich,

When we do all the work?

And we create all the world’s wealth,

Whilst ruining our lives and health,

Whilst they just pose and shirk?

Let’s put them on a desert isle,

And leave them to their fate;

Then marvel at their poor response,

When we see how few of life’s wants,

They actually create!

(1) “No government’s done more to close tax loopholes”. David Cameron--

despite only one successful large scale tax-evasion prosecution in five years.

(2) Conservative ex-treasurer, Lord Fink, who’s donated £2.62m to the Party

has hastily withdrawn his threat to sue Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband

after admitting that he engaged in tax-avoidance as “Everybody does it”.

© Richard Layton