As Mark Pack makes clear on Liberal Democrat Voice, this morning's Daily Telegraph splash on Danny Alexander's tax affairs is completely without foundation. To put it briefly, Danny did not pay capital gains tax on the sale of his London home because, er, not tax was payable.
At least this has made the Telegraph's agenda clear to all. The paper opposes the government's plans to raise capital gains tax and, more generally, resents David Cameron's efforts to return the Conservative Party to the political mainstream. It is seeking to undermine the Liberal Democrats, the coalition and Cameron's leadership of the Conservative Party.
They had the template ready for a scandal piece on Danny Alexander as soon as he was appointed. They did not let the lack of any damning facts to fill it out stop them publishing the resultant story
It is time that David Cameron stood up to the Daily Telegraph, because ultimately he is the person in the paper's sights.
An interesting theory. I look forward to seeing if this bears out in their future reporting.
ReplyDeleteIsn't the point that he sold it before the system for Capital Gains Tax was altered to save himself some money?
ReplyDeleteNTrout: No.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Conservatives should consider putting the Telegraph in boycott? There are plenty of other newspapers they can choose from, like Daily Mail, Times and Financial Times.
ReplyDeleteNTrout: Even if he did, so what? It's not illegal to sell before the changes come intoforce. But that's not what happened.
ReplyDeleteI thought He used £35,000 of expenses to renovate his home flipped it and then sold it.
ReplyDelete"Ray Kelly": If you thought that then you were mistaken.
ReplyDeleteI have to say this is one of the most lightweight stories of political corrupstion I have ever seen and the Telegraph are proving us all right. They are clearly working with the Tory fringes to get the Chief Sec who they want.
ReplyDeleteAlexander lied about his house
ReplyDeleteor stretched the definition of 'main' if you prefer.
a 'technicality or not' - the public (your voters) don't like that sort of thing
"I have always listed London as my second home on the basis set out in the parliamentary rules as I spent more time in Scotland than I did in London."
ReplyDeleteSounds fair enough to me.