THE Government is chasing Starbucks, Google and Amazon over legal non-payment of corporation tax while at the same time turning a blind eye to their internal expenses scandal that is still going on after it was discovered three years ago.

Some MPs and members of the House of Lords who have paid back their wrongly claimed expenses are still in Parliament without facing any criminal charges and there are still MPs who have not yet paid back illegally claimed expenses.

So much for being “in it all together”.

AP Cox, Heath Close, Holgate, York.

 

• In light of Starbucks’ marvellous offer to pay £20 million in tax over the next two years, I should like to offer to pay £300 in tax next year.

I trust HMRC and the Government will be happy for all of us to volunteer how much tax we would like to pay, from here on in, in the certainty that by setting our own tax bills we will all become as successful and vital to the UK economy as Starbucks.

Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.

 

• WHEN George Osborne cut benefits, tax credits and maternity pay in real terms on Tuesday, it reflected a consensus that showing support for unemployed people is politically toxic.

We have grown accustomed to hearing about hard-working families and alarm clock Britain. That is not to say there is a huge issue of low-pay, underemployment and lack of affordable childcare.

However, the lack of political and media mainstream discourse on the living standards of the unemployed betrays an uncaring society. Unemployment can happen to everyone – whether through redundancy, sickness, depression, disability, accident, relationship breakdown, caring responsibilities, lack of opportunity and education.

The vast majority of unemployed are desperate to find work. “Doing the right thing” is not an exclusive club that the employed belong to.

If we use the myths of laziness, we must investigate the facts. Inter-generational worklessness is less than 0.3 per cent.

In any case, it is naïve to suggest there are not bad apples in all echelons of society. Take a look at politicians or non-taxpaying multinationals.

Before we rush to judge the very poorest in our society, we should consider the ramifications if we cast them adrift without a stake in society.

Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York.

 

• Did Chancellor George Osborne lick his finger, stick it in the air, and just guess what the figures for growth and borrowing would be for the next six years?

Rather than tackling the real problems we have, and taking the strong measures needed to put us in surplus, he uses spurious future figures to funk his responsibilities. We will soon lose our AAA rating.

The cheap borrowing, fuelling spending we cannot afford, will disappear and our repayment interest rates will increase significantly meaning the deficit will be much higher than predicted.

If Osborne ran a whelk stall, the liquidator would not be far away.

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington.

 

• THE Chancellor once again told us the same old story: jam tomorrow if things go according to plan. Yet none of his plans have proved reliable.

The answer from the Shadow Chancellor was out of date, although the Labour Party policy would have worked had they won the election.

Now we are in such a mess that it is too late for them to save us, especially the poor and vulnerable.

Unless we get Britain back to work we are doomed to more than five more years of cuts.

Dennis Barton, Woodthorpe, York.