Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, called the latest switch from the private sector to the state “the creeping control of the state by the big business elite”.
He said: “We’ve had people who are very senior who have moved over to the state, but never the very top.\”
I share the outrage. It is appalling that people come in from the Big 4 Tax Dodgers and then conspire with their former employers to crush the democratic will of the people by occupying important positions in government.
For example, Margaret, Lady Hodge, is now chairman of the Public Accounts Committee: after a thorough training by her masters at Price Waterhouse in the 90s.
It\’s disgusting, isn\’t it, shouldn\’t be allowed.
In my opinion, of course.
I think the private economy (not to mention the state) would get a tremendous boost if the entire management consultancy “industry” were torn limb from limb, its remains burned and the ashes put on the next available one-way flight to alpha centauri.
That seems rather extreme James. Every mindfull of the public purse, I would settle for scattering the ashes over the nearest sewage farm.
What about accountants trained by what’s now KPMG, living in Norfolk and trying to thwart the tax and public spending policy of our democratically elected government?
Could the principle be extended to NGOs? For example, should retired accountants from Wandsworth be allowed to take their vast experience, expertise and economics genius over to the PCS? This is creeping control of our labour organisations by big (OK I admit, this is where my stupid analogy falls down) business?
Only those pure in heart, never compromised by Mammon can enter into the holy of holies.
This way we can ensure that no state decision will be swayed by knowledge of the real world, any analysis of the downside or other constraint on deluded idiocy.
Serf – “Only those pure in heart, never compromised by Mammon can enter into the holy of holies. This way we can ensure that no state decision will be swayed by knowledge of the real world, any analysis of the downside or other constraint on deluded idiocy.”
You know, I think Ritchie might be on to something here. He is clearly a firm believer in the Divine Rights of Kings. Who else has no obvious monetary interest in running the UK apart from the King? Parliament? Don-t make me laugh!
All this time I thought he was on the Left, but really he is a closet Jacobite.
Well, Franz Bonaventura Adalbert Maria Prinz von Bayern, His Royal Highness the Duke of Bavaria, would make an excellent King. He spent the war in a concentration camp and likes deer hunting I am told (which is odd because he seems a little, you know, light in his loafers otherwise if you know what I mean). I am sure that handing over all power to someone with no corporate experience going back at least a 1000 years would please Ritchie no end.
Very senior UK tax professional joins very large uk professional tax firm. Why the fuss?
Sorry missed a crucial “from” in there.
yes, how dare the state employ people with experience?
Half the time they complain that we have a class of professional politicians who have no real-world experience. And then when someone has some, they complain that this means they are “creeping control” from the private sector. Why don’t they just come out and say “only people who agree with me should be allowed to have a say on anything.”?
I wouldn’t hate them any less, but it would be more honest.
It’s a valid point though; they are one class who wander between the three sectors at will. This is why under the current regime it is naive to champion big business against big government as if they are somehow oppositional; rather, the same kind of pinheaded technocrats infest, say, the CBI as a government ministry or NGO. And as an example why nowadays corporate speak and statist speak are indistinguishable; that new elite dialect in which people proactively actualise enterprise solutions reflecting our core values of diversity and customer focussed end-user synergies, or whatnot.
We may occasionally see displays of friendly jousting- over tax, for instance- but they are as one. We will need many lamp posts, and much hempen rope, when the time comes.
This is all about Dave Hartnett joining Deloitte – so it’s about someone moving from the state to the private sector, not vice versa. Maybe the Graun got it the wrong way around when Tim took the quote, but it’s right now.
I don’t know why Murphy is bleating on about the capture of the state by the private sector when it’s someone going the other way.. but he hates Hartnett, and he hates the ‘Big 4’ so he needs to say something to demonstrate how evil they all are.
That’s all irrelevant though. The crus of the matter is ‘what Ian B said’.
Do not, in your rush to bash Richard Murphy, lose sight of the unseemly circle-jerk going on amongst the political/corporate/NGO ‘elites’. He might be a dangerous little twat, but he’s a long way from being the enemy.
Hi,
Anyone notice that David Hartnett has joined Deloitte to advise THIRD-WORLD GOVERNMENTS?
@JamesV #1: shades of Douglas Adams’ lost space ship full of telephone cleaners, advertising executives, etc.
So a guy who knows how to run a tax organisation gets a job. Not suprisingly in the same field. What do people expect him to do? Become a shelf filler at Morrisons? If he went as self employed delivery driver people would say he’s taking advantage of his knowledge of tax, if he went as a member of TJN people would say he’s taking advantage of his knowledge of tax. So why should he not take advantage of his career to date? Surely thats where the challenge and money is for him.
Martin, clearly the answer is to ban all knowledge of tax from anyone not in the Inner Party.
If Hartnett appeared to have clean hands there wouldn’t be any fuss. Unfortunately there is an appearance of impropriety. His new job looks like a reward.
What new job would you have him get ukliberty?
I don’t understand your question. I didn’t say he shouldn’t have the job.