David Cameron refuses to comment on Gary Barlow 'tax shelter'
Published Jun 21 2012, 18:13 BST | By Paul Millar
Prime Minister David Cameron has refused to be drawn on the controversy surrounding Gary Barlow's reported tax avoidance scheme.Take That stars Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen are said to have invested a total of £26 million in a tax shelter.
© PA Images / Geert Vanden Wijngaert/AP
© WENN / Manuil Yamalyan
However, Cameron - who has already condemned Jimmy Carr's tax arrangements - chose not to comment on Barlow, who recently received an OBE.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference today, the PM said: "I am not going to give a running commentary on different people's tax affairs. I don't think that would be right.
"I made an exception because it was a very specific case where the details seemed to have been published and it was a particularly egregious example of an avoidance scheme that seemed to me to be wrong and I made that point."
© Rex Features / Roderick Barker-Benfield
© PA Images / Ian West/PA Wire
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Angela Eagle argued: "Oddly, [Mr Cameron] did not take the opportunity to condemn as morally repugnant the tax avoidance scheme used by Conservative supporter Gary Barlow, who has given a whole new meaning to the phrase Take That.
"If he is also morally repugnant, why has he been given an OBE in the Birthday Honours? Why is the Prime Minister's view of what's dodgy in the tax system so partial? Sir Philip Green has interesting tax arrangements but far from being labelled morally repugnant in a Mexico TV studio, he has got a Government review to head up."
Comedian Jimmy Carr apologised on Twitter for being the biggest beneficiary of the K2 scheme in Jersey.
I agree hypocrite, one rule you another rule for everyone else total crap, when i was sat with my mates they said about Jimmy Carr i said what about Gary Barlow they siad i liek gary barlow and he did the jubelie song and got obe etc etc i said oh thats alrite then he can shove is money in jersey and pay bugger all tax. ud never see him publicly apologise hes got his head to far shoved up his ****
July 24th 2012 at 6:30pm
Hypocrite.
June 22nd 2012 at 5:59pm
You people do realise that the Carr and Take That situations are really quite different. Afterall, Carr was paying 1% tax and paid for a mansion in cash. Take That have paid a lot of tax - but have also delved into a scheme which may or may not be legitimate and is under investigation - there's no full gone conclusion on the Icebreaker scheme yet and won't be until November so any comments on here about it are really mute points I'm affraid (people should do some reading before commenting). And I'm sorry but with regards to Carr - if someone said they could save you tax and it was totally legal - you would say sure, why not! Be truthful - who wouldn't?! To say otherwise must mean you're a saint, but saints give to charity, they don't go on and on about the morals with paying taxes of all things! No politician whatever party they are or position they keep should waver in an opinion on this - 'let he who is without sin, cast the first stone' and all that - what with a certain father's own use of tax havens, the whole MP expenses saga and all the dodgy dealings that must go on behind walls between MPs and the really rich and big businesses (who avoid tax like the plague). Lastly I love how everyone's singled out Gary Barlow when there are two other members of Take That and a manager involved - albeit mentioned very little!
June 22nd 2012 at 5:27pm(+1 like)
Cameron was right in saying tax evasion was immoral,and wrong naming one particular individual,who was not acting illegally as an example.
He and his government should now pull their finger out and close all the legal loopholes used by the 1% tax evaders,who have been getting away wth it for decades
June 22nd 2012 at 6:23pm
Well said Fiver4321, I've said the same on other news threads but it's fallen on deaf ears
June 22nd 2012 at 6:31pm(+1 like)
All these people saying they'd do the same if they could- think about the roads you drive to work on, the disabled people who need care, the ill people who need the NHS... paying tax builds a strong infrastructure and frankly if people didn't pay tax there'd be about as many jobs as there are in Greece right now. Perhaps the rates are too high, but paying 1% tax is morally wrong and I'm happy to see family and friends pay high rates of tax when it means that people aren't suffering like they are in other parts of the world.
June 22nd 2012 at 4:30pm
The people who are rich enough to truly care about the amount of tax they pay are rich enough not to be concerned by the amount of tax they pay.
June 22nd 2012 at 7:33pm
Cameron is a ****, naturally, but he's not the only one; ALL media I've seen on this incident of tax ALL use Jimmy Carr's name and image on the front page/headline, then use the others as a footnote, as they deem him fair fodder due to his jokes.
Barlow and the other oiks are *****, even if this story hadn't have emerged.
June 22nd 2012 at 4:05pm