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Watch: HMRC gatecrash - "We'll set the dogs on you"

Black tie protesters crash HMRC boss' retirement party.

By New Statesman Published 24 September 2012 15:27

Protesters posed as members of Goldman Sachs. Photograph, Getty Images

Former HMRC boss Dave Hartnett was in the middle of a speech at a gala dinner on Thursday when a group of black-tie clad protesters walked in. Here's what happened:

The group of protesters, who call themselves WeAreTheIntruders, were referring to HMRC's "sweetheart" deals with businesses over taxes, which stirred up controversy after a whistleblower accused the company of saving Goldman Sachs £20m on an outstanding tax bill, and Vodaphone up to £8bn in taxes though a £1.25bn settlement. HMRC was cleared of the charges by the National Audit Office, but was warned over suspicious relationships with companies.

As they were ejected from the dinner, one diner was heard saying he'd "set the dogs on them".

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8 comments

Mon, 2012-09-24 19:48 — McMac

It's great to know people still talk like that.Though I'm surpised he didn't say "set the hounds on you".

Mon, 2012-09-24 19:28 — Tax Barrister (not verified)

That way the venerable Robert Venables QC threatening to 'set the dogs' on peaceful protesters and branding them 'trespassing scum'.

Mon, 2012-09-24 16:19 — Fats (not verified)

we need to know all the attendees at that dinner!

Wed, 2012-09-26 14:02 — Frederica (not verified)

Well I was there, so what do you want to know about it?

I could tell you that we spent some time discussing the interaction of GAAR with the ECHR by allowing HMRC to effectively sit as a judge in its own cause, and then there was the fascinating talk about the introduction of the EU succession directive, and oooh we talked about the new residence rules.

I think you'll find that it was rather dry and technical and directed towards explaining what recent changes in the law were rather than tax avoidance.

But don't let that get in the way of your fantasisies about there being an evil cabal etc. I like the thought that I'm part of an evil cabal. It sounds rather more fun than trying to work out whether someone who has visited the UK for 70 days is resident here or not.

Mon, 2012-09-24 16:06 — Herbert (not verified)

We need to know who that posh-voiced little twerp who called them 'trespassing scum' is. There can't be many arses he hasn't licked.

Mon, 2012-09-24 19:32 — Tax Barrister (not verified)

that was Robert Venables QC ...

Mon, 2012-09-24 19:35 — Tax Barrister (not verified)

ROBERT VENABLES QC
•Chairman of the Revenue Bar Association of England and Wales 2001-05
•Bencher of the Middle Temple (Elected 1999)
•Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and Chartered Tax Adviser (from 1999)
•Non-Executive Fellow of St Edmund Hall, Oxford.
•Consulting Editor of The Offshore Taxation Review, The Personal Tax Planning Review, The Corporate Tax Review and The E.C. Tax Journal; Chairman of the Advisory Editorial Board of The Charity Law and Practice Review.
•Language: French