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”.