THE scale of the revelations in the Paradise Papers is overwhelming. As we read of the tax avoiding activities of corporations, sports stars, celebrities, royalty, politicians, ex-ministers etc it is tempting to simply shake one’s head and turn away.

But the amoral conduct of those using tax havens to avoid tax is critical to the failing health of our nation.

Those missing taxes dwarf the sums we pay to be members of the EU.

The missing tens of billions of pounds that corporations, the establishment and the wealthy avoid paying lie at the heart of the challenges to our failing public institutions: our health service, public transport, the protection of our wild spaces, the support of the elderly and the sick, our education. All these things are paid for with public money, in other words taxes.

That the rich and powerful blame the EU for our financial problems is no surprise: the EU is trying to stamp out tax havens and the British Government and wealthy Brexiteers are doing all they can to block reform.

To protect our public institutions we don’t need isolationism, we need international co-operation and action to ensure that tax havens are swept away.

Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York