The morals of the working man called into question by an MP; whatever next?

Hypocrisy at it's finest ! I always have and always will pay cash to anyone who does a job at my home.To have a politician ranting and accusing anyone of dishonesty leaves me amazed !

Lol some of my customers pay cash, usually because they may have previously bounced a cheque so I don't trust them and make them pay in advance. Without going into details, in my line of work you cannot avoid VAT or any other tax because my work involves a clear paper trail so anyone asking if cash would be cheaper gets a firm NO. Most small businesses are aware that if you try to fiddle VAT and get caught it can end up costing way above any money they might have saved so they don't.

There would probably be a lot less tax avoidance if the government stopped sending money to countries that can afford their own Nuclear weapons technology, I feel, and I'm sure others do too that it is wrong to keep propping up regimes that do not collect taxes from their own working population to help their own less fortunate with money from our hard working taxpayers, especially when it doesn't benefit those it was intended for.

The government needs to get it's priorities right and spend OUR money more wisely!

?Not only is this guy an idiot but he cannot even get his facts correct.

Being a Tory he probably does not know that not everyone has a bank account or access to a cheque account or debit card etc. I also know of some older people who are uncomfortable using anything except cash. Many people also prefer to use cash for smaller transactions and are not thinking about whether or not the tradesman will declare it for tax purposes. That is up to the tradesman. Is this idiot MP suggesting that we act as excise police.

With his way of thinking every person in the UK who uses cash in any transaction, eg taxi's, mobile food outlets, driving schools, garden tidy, local markets, the list is endless, could if they so desired not declare income but this is an insult to those who are honest. Of course there are people who will attempt to save tax in some way but whatever happened to the policy of innocent until proven guilty.

I think this is a blatant attempt to take the spotlight away from his millionaire cohorts and their tax dodging schemes.

Finally, he says it is morally wrong to pay in cash and it is illegal for a plumber to accept payment in cash.........since when was it illegal to accept payment in cash for any service rendered?

Morals/the publics moral conscience are the 'new buzz words' applied to the public by politicians - it doesn't apply to governments/politicians/1%er's or any other 'rich list' group.

These governments/politicians have lost there battle to 'con the public' - the public having 'wised up' to them all - so the new political strategy is....appeal too the publics ermmmm....sense of fair play - something than 'none' of the above groups have 'ever' applied too themselves or the public....ever.!!

The absolute cheek these political morons have....is mind boggling - and even 'this' great political thinker/suggester was one that got caught out 'fiddling his stamp duty' on his property in the past + other things (as has been said already)....where was 'his moral' conscience then ? talk about the pot call the kettle black.

When these political morons apply a moral/moral conscience background attitude themselves and toward the public - maybe the public will take more notice of this latest attempt to bring the public too heel.

Whats good for the goose - is good for the gander....the political system/politicians and governments etc are corrupt and and have been 'self serving' (since for ever) and until 'they' get their 'house in order'....they needn't try and lecture the public on morals....blo*dy cheek.!!

Cash is king....if we've got any left.!!

I have just seen this toss pot on the TV taking the high moral tone on people being paid cash in hand. A more corrupt band of thieves park their a*ses in Parliament claiming for the most mundane things that's ok for the taxpayer to divvy up for. That and claiming on second homes that don't exist or aren't lived in. One MP claimed for a room in her sisters house and Warsi claimed thousands thus fiddling the tax man.

One rule for MP's, another rule for the man in the street that pays them!

The self employed person has to declare what money they have earned in a year and pays tax on it and if over a certain threshold VAT. If they can gain a bit of money on the side good luck to them.

VAT by the way replaced purchase tax which Churchill promised would be removed after WW2. We are still waiting!

Working for cash and not declaring is clearly fraud. If that also means the tradesman avoids a higher tax bracket, avoids VAT and/or gets him benefits, everyone one of those is also a crime.

Paying someone cash to help their cashflow, or avoid needless bank charges, or to avoid a bouncing cheque isn't morally wrong. If you pay a lawyer or dentist you expect 99.9% of them to pay their taxes - why shouldn't it be the same for every plumber or taxi driver?

Really is rich that politicians are spouting to the rest of us about "morality"

What is so "moral" about paying tax so that these bastar*ds can go and pis* it up the wall?

When VAT was introduced it was supposed to replace income tax? What happened?

Didn't think it would be "moral" to claim for two porno movies on your expense claim but maybe I got it all wrong.These SOBs really make me want to puke.

I think the morals of a man who works is to have what he does even if he has to pay taxes to keep it.

While one takes his point it is usual for fairly small jobs to be paid in cash. I gave a cheque when I had my combi replaced last year because it was too big an amount to bother with cash.

When I had the double glazing in,that time I had a new door to the garden I was offered it VAT free for cash by the first tradesman who estimated.I did not feel I could award him the contract. One has to do what one feels to be right.

What a hypocrite,take him out along with all the others sponging,useless M.Ps and hang them from the nearest lamp post thus proving that not only trees can bear strange fruit.