Almost all Tory voters agree company tax avoidance morally wrong, poll finds

A bulk of the public, including Conservative voters, enactment tougher enactment against taxation avoidance, according to an sentiment canvass aft the revelations successful the leaked Pandora Papers astir wide usage of offshore taxation havens by immoderate of the world’s wealthiest people.

Among Conservative voters successful the 2019 wide election, 90% agreed that taxation avoidance by ample companies was “morally incorrect adjacent if legal”, the canvass found.

That was higher than the fig for Labour voters, 85% of whom agreed. Support for the connection that taxation avoidance by individuals is “morally incorrect adjacent if legal” was 87% among Conservative voters, 80% of Labour voters, and 81% of the nationalist overall.

The poll, by Survation for the run radical Tax Justice UK, followed reporting of the cache of files, named the Pandora Papers, leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and shared with the Guardian, BBC Panorama and planetary media partners. The largest ever specified leak exposed the concealed offshore holdings and finances of respective affluent donors to the Tory party, 35 satellite leaders, and much than 100 billionaires, celebrities and galore different notable figures.

Several countries whose citizens were shown to ain assets done offshore companies rapidly announced inquiries, but the British authorities has truthful acold not responded robustly.

Tax Justice UK is calling for taxation loopholes to beryllium closed, specified arsenic the exclusion from stamp work erstwhile properties are sold done offshore companies, nether which Tony and Cherie Blair saved £312,000 successful tax erstwhile they bought a London bureau successful 2017. The radical is besides calling connected the authorities to present a registry identifying radical who ain UK spot done offshore companies, promised by the erstwhile premier curate David Cameron successful 2015 but which has inactive not been implemented.

The canvass recovered 80% of people, including 83% of Conservative voters, agreed that the grounds of the Pandora Papers “makes maine privation to spot tougher enactment against taxation avoidance”.

Dame Margaret Hodge, seat of thecross-party parliamentary radical connected anti-corruption and liable tax, said: “The Pandora Papers lifted the lid connected a full spectrum of immoral and amerciable behaviours, including the precise worst taxation avoidance. Now this important polling from Tax Justice UK shows that radical are good and genuinely fed up with taxation dodging. What is striking is that it’s Tory voters who are astir upset astatine this egregious conduct.

“It’s precocious clip that Boris Johnson hears the outcry from his voters and yet takes action. The large corporations and affluent individuals who shirk their responsibilities indispensable beryllium made to wage a just share.’

The Treasury has been approached for comment.