The Public Accounts Committee today published its report on HMRC and the way in which it’s dealing with tax disputes. It found that there is £25 billion outstanding in unresolved tax bills, mostly from large companies. The HMRC did not fully cooperate with the Public Accounts Committee and sought to keep details from Parliament and public scrutiny.

The Permanent Secretary of the Tax Department, David Hartnett, has come under severe criticism that he has “too cosy” a relationship with big business. He refused to apologise for the tax fiascos and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has failed to back him as previously reported by the Daily Mail.

Whilst small businesses and individuals are being relentlessly chased by HMRC, it is becoming apparent that a different more lenient approach is being taken with big businesses who have wined and dined David Hartnett.

David Cameron’s reaction, through his official spokesperson has been to deny all this. The PM simply doesn’t seem to care that there might be tax revenue due to the government which is the equivalent of £1000 for each person in the UK or 6p in income tax!

UKUncut who have longed campaigned to highlight this issue has launched legal action to recover tax from Goldman Sachs from money raised from public donations. You can donate here.

Listen to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Margaret Hodge MP talk to the Today Programme on Radio4 about the report’s findings below on Audioboo.

Also, below is today’s media reaction to these shocking revelations which mean that ordinary people are having to pay more!

BBC Business – MPs attack ‘cosy deals’ at HMRC

Channel4 News – HMRC accused of bending the rules for big firms

The Telegraph – Why double standards by HM Revenue and Customs mean you pay more

The Daily Mail – Big firms let off £25BILLION in taxes: As families are chased for every penny, corporate giants dodge their massive bills

The Sun – Firms’ £25bn tax let-offs

UPDATE

The Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves MP, has now written to George Osborne asking for a response to this report before Christmas.

This article was published in Progress 24th September 2011 by Deputy Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Rory Palmer.

Rory talks about Leicester’s early experience with having a directly elected mayor and what other cities can learn from it.

Read the article, “Yes to directly elected mayors”.

The Government has plunged the NHS into a leadership crisis on the brink of the toughest year in its history.

Labour today reveals how hundreds of senior NHS figures, many with years of experience and public service, have in recent days received letters demanding their immediate resignation.

Chairs and Directors of Primary Care Trusts across England have been given pro-forma resignation letters to return by 31 December – even though the Government is still months away from finding out whether Parliament has approved its planned re-organisation of the NHS.

Andrew Lansley’s shock move has caused anger and confusion across the NHS. It threatens to create a leadership vacuum at local level, with the NHS losing valuable people, grip and focus at a crucial time.

One experienced Chair has warned of a ‘dire threat’ to ‘long-held and cherished standards’ and ‘corporate memory’.

Read the response to this by Andy Burnham MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary

Soar Magazine has done an interview with Leicester West MP, Liz Kendall, you can read the full article here as Liz talks about what drives her in politics and her love for Leicester.

This is a great achievement and we’d like to congratulate all the schools, staff, children and parents in achieving the best SATs results ever. The figures show that primary schools in Leicester are making significant progress and the city jumped 14 places in the national league tables.

The details, including individual school results, can be seen in the Leicester Mercury article.