Here she is – the BBC’s much loved Margaret Hodge. Did you catch her whining away during the Public Accounts Committee set to at the “Big 4” accountancy companies. Did you hear the gushing reverential tone the BBC adopted when reviewing her performance? Like all the hard left, they just love the idea of bashing those who seek to stop Government from raiding profits of private enterprise. I think it funny how Hodge’s own problems with expenses are now conveniently shot down to the bottom of the memory hole. It is remarkable the very high profile that the BBC affords Hodge and the likes of Vaz – it’s almost as IF they never left Government. Combine with that the easy pass these pious hypocrites get and you get an insight into how all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.
MARGARET HODGE – TAX CRUSADER
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Wasn’t this the lady who almost busted Lambeth Council in the 1980s?
Also, lets not forget the family relationship with Stemcorp to see a prime example of total hypocracy.
It was Islington. Some baggage there if you look at Wikipedia. She is one of the Labour hags don the same coven as Harman and Hewitt. They are all warts on the face of normal decency!
Hypocrisy anyone ? Check out Margaret Hodge’s tax affairs on Guido’s blog (page 2, now). Almost £2 million in shares in a company that pays 0.01% tax in the UK, wrapped up in tax-efficient trusts, etc., so that she and her family can avoid taxes now and in the future – and she has the gall to point the finger at anyone else being ‘tax-efficient’ ? Any scrutiny of this and her other financial affairs are not welcomed by said Margaret Hodge. She believes SHE isn’t doing anything wrong, of course.
But the bigger hypocrisy is that of the BBC, which gives her so much airtime to pontificate on so many subjects she tries to pillory others about, which would not bear any, even the most feeble, scrutiny in her own case.
Once again, you only have to ask if Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Theresa May, or any other Tory for that matter, had similar skeletons in the cupboard, would any of them get the same free pass as Margaret Hodge ?
As the BBC likes to categorise faults in other organisations – it’s systemic !
But why are the politicians you name not saying this, loudly? Are they frightened of the BBC? Do they indeed have skeletons of their own? It would certainly appear that the spine is missing.
It’s both. Maybe not Gove. He’s not afraid of the BBC, but he does appear to believe that it’s not worth his time going after the BBC in any meaningful way. Too much love for the BBC entrenched in the public’s hearts and minds after generations of a deep cultural connection, inevitable backlash not worth it to him. And it’s not like really going after the BBC would help him with his education reform goals.
Agreed, Roland, as I posted yesterday about recent latters to the BBC from Mr Pickles and Grant Shapps’ aide. But letters of that ilk ought to be flying into the BBC (and copied to other media to make sure they don’t get buried) every day – and there are enough examples of BBC proclivities to do this.
However, the other side of the argument is that if Tories are seen to get personal (e.g. re Margaret Hodge) the story will instantly become, in the BBC’s mind, ‘Nasty Party dirty tricks’ – and so there would be no net gain. Look what it did to Andrew Mitchell for even the slightest hint that he might have callled a police officer a ‘pleb’.
Imagine what the BBC could do to Margaret Hodge if it chose to do the same hatchet job on her ? It never will, of course, and it’s this sort of hypocrisy from the BBC which shields such Labour politicians from any real scrutiny. Unfortunately, that means it’s up to other sources to point out the ‘personal’ hypocrisies. Hard though that may be.
“Hypocrisy anyone?”
Ah, yes, the Telegraph’s “exposé” of Margaret Hodge’s tax affairs:
http://goo.gl/BZ3mc
It was repeated on this blog (along with all the genuine, heartfelt cries of disgust) many times, including:
November 10th, 2012; “Here’s A Story Not In The BBC Despite There Being Real Evidence”
November 27th, 2012; “Under The Microscope…Those Evil Multi-National, Non-Tax Paying Corporations”
December 5th, 2012; “TAXING TIMES…”
December 6th, 2012; “SAINT MARGARET….”
And yet, the following apology, issued less than five weeks after the Telegraph’s supposed “exposé” hasn’t been mentioned once:
“Contrary to our report “Hodge faces challenge over family firm’s taxes” (Nov 20), Stemcor, in which Ms Hodge has a small shareholding, has not abused transfer pricing to avoid tax. We accept that there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and apologise to her for any contrary impression.”
http://goo.gl/ph84G
Strange that isn’t it?
“Hypocrisy anyone?”
Margaret Hodge has £ millions tied up for her and her family in a company which uses (i.e. doesn’t abuse) tax avoidance instruments, trust funds, etc ., so that it and its clients pay little or no taxes in the UK, and Margaret Hodge benefits from that. Then she grandstands in the media in judgement of other companies doing similar things and accuses and abuses them – strange, that, isn’t it ?
Too right, Hodge the Hypocrite.
You imply that a very brief and specifically-worded apology, which you have taken the trouble to print in full, is linked to the press articles you mention above it.
Hmmmm – I note the ‘so-called’ apology you mention refers specifically to an article you don’t mention anywhere in your list (20th Nov), but there is NO APOLOGY for the four articles you do mention (10th, 27th Nov and 5th, 6th December).
Now why would anyone want to conflate these ? Strange, that – isn’t it ?
You can depend on the BBC fawning on, and supporting, the Labour Party in every way they can to ensure a win for their pals in 2015.
They will, in return, expect an easy ride when it comes to negotiating the BBC Charter renewal in 2016.
I see that the holier-than-everyone Polly Toynbee is also praising Margaret Hodge to the skies…
“Westminster is rarely a palace of pleasure, but Thursday brought the magnificent spectacle of Margaret Hodge walloping the big four accountancy firms for their role in helping companies deprive the Treasury of taxes everyone else has to pay.”
As Richard D points out she is hardly innocent herself.
I suppose that it is beyond Margaret and Polly’s understanding that they are only doing what is perfectly legal under treasury rules.
And I’m willing to bet that Polly paid Capital Gains Tax in the UK on that villa she recently sold in Tuscany….yeah, right.
But isn’t it amazing that they both think that’s it’s perfectly OK for them to behave they way THEY do, because it’s completley legal….. however, as far as anyone else is concerned….then they must be treated like criminals !
She really is a revolting woman. The quintessential silly, irritating, middle class and utterly useless leftie who’s done nothing but turn her back on the white working class British person. Complete waste of space!
Alex, you’ve just summed up all socialists.
I totally agree with the hypocrisy of Margaret Hodge if the comments above about her personal affairs are correct, similarly with many other politicians. However, from what I have read, the likes of Tim Yeo also seem to get away with promoting so called green projects in which he has a financial interest, probably because the BBC agree with his policies.
I agree that a large proportion of government spending goes on extravagant public sector salaries and pensions and inflated payments to ministers’ private sector cronies. If the many overpaid “public servants” were paid merely generous salaries, the government debt crisis would be over, taxes lowered and business envigorated.
However I think the following extract from the Mail suggests a level of corruption worthy of government ministers taking place in the large accountancy firms –
“It also emerged that the companies all send senior tax partners to HMRC or the Treasury to help draft new legislation.
When they return to their firms, the companies use the new-found knowledge of loopholes to devise new ways for corporations to avoid paying full dues to the taxman.”
It sounds like the big firm’s senior partners are paid by the taxpayer to write the tax law and then paid by their rich private clients to exploit the loopholes they have created. Is this fraud?
I agree, the whole business is one massive racket
While Hodge herself isn’t blameless the sight of those four creeps avoiding giving direct answers to questions was sickening.
And she impugned some lad who put in a complaint about his being abused during his time at one of her “childrens homes” when she was responsible for them in Islington.
So much for “the need to listen to the voice of the child”….she trashed the lads reputation before her half-arsed apology long after the abuse was covered up and denied.
Typical New Labour hypocritical nasty…with a foppy ECHR-type lawyer for a husband, and…of course…just the kind of gal that Labour turned too when they wanted a “Childrens Minister”.
They`re taking the piss…and we let them!
David,
The Daily Telegraph had to aplogise over its Hodge articles:
http://www.taxjournal.com/tj/articles/telegraph-apologises-margaret-hodge-over-stemcor%E2%80%99s-tax-affairs-13122012
You really should keep up!
Perhaps you should keep up yourself, colditz. That apology refers to one specific article, not articles (plural) – so the newspaper is clearly standing by its other Hodge articles – otherwise why be specific ?
The most recent smear was the point at which Hodge had enough and took them on. There’s been no further articles. Hodge of course totally routed the BNP in Dagenham in the last election and cleared that rabble of the local council. That makes her a real target for knuckle scrappers!
Yes, she hates working-class socialists like the BNP. You middle-class lefties all dislike them when they don’t do as instructed. Most on here dislike all socialists equally.
The BBC love Hodge? I thought they were supposed to be ‘anti-semitic’?
They love a self hating jew though
How else would Miriam Margolyes have had a career?