Friday, 12 June 2009

Royals secret lobbying for better tax treatment of expenses?

In theTreasury's response to a Freedom of Information Act they tried to redact some text using black highlighting but if you select the text you can read it!

That's what I call Freedom of Information!

We now know that: "Sir Michael Peat, The Prince of Wales’ Principal Private Secretary, has written to Dave Hartnett asking HMRC to consider amending the MOU to recognise this expenditure."

[meaning expenditure met by HRH The Prince of Wales on official engagements carried out by Their Royal Highnesses The Princes William and Harry.]

So all this private correspondence is not just for the benefit of the British Constitution and the National Interest at least some of it appears to be about the financial interests of one family.

But how much influence to the Royals have, did they get their own way? ...

"In a little-noticed supplementary document to the Budget, Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, announced that the taxpayer would pick up the cost of running an office recently created to support Princes William and Harry."

Source of quote: Telegraph

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