Three points. First, I don’t take this seriously. These groups need to be on the main board, not a token sub-committee.
Second, it is quite unacceptable to ask people to do this for nothing. Why should a small business person lose revenue to work for HMRC? The days when jobs went to those of independent means should be over. There’s also that thing called the minimum wage to consider, in my opinion. HMRC is not a voluntary organisation and HMRC is meant to both enforce this regulation and so, I think, set appropriate standards for behaviour.
Third, I will not be applying, but if anyone is interested, give it a go.
The man who gets £65k a year precisely to be the civil society voice on such things shouts that being paid £65k a year isn’t enough.
“Why should a small business person lose revenue to work for HMRC?”
Indeed. So I hope Ritchie will campaign to end me having to process PAYE, VAT and do my tax return.
Caviar and fois gras are expensive, as is vintage claret.
I have no idea who you are writing about but those are the usual excuses.
Somebody should ask him…
Given that he has received grants from charities for no services in particular, wouldn’t it balance his books if he performed some specific services without payment?
It’s possible HMRC deliberately offered the position at no cost given his continual criticism of the organisation – why should an advisory position necessarily be paid? As far as I’m aware there is no law against offering a volunteer position?
And he doesn’t want it? Great, I’m sure there are those that do, any of whom would be infinitely better and more knowledgeable on tax and economics than this cretin. Indeed I’d think I could pick ten people at random from any pub in Britain and even half cut they’d be able to hold a discussion on economics with more coherence than this idiot.
Oh, Van..Van! Why don’t you say what you think?
Eight days a year, transport expenses paid; frankly it’d be worthwhile for him just for the networking possibilities.
Sadly he doesn’t actually meet the criteria.
From HMRC’s Charter Committee Appointments Candidate Pack:
So a man who spends a not inconsiderable amount of time and effort, and who wallows in the self-aggrandisement of his efforts, in attempting to hold HMRC to account, when given the explicit opportunity to do something to back up his words, refuses to do so unless he is paid to do it ?
Surely his work for the JRCT (promoting tax reform), TUC (advising on taxation issues), Unite (advising on taxation issues), Joffe Charitable Trust (work on the relationship between accounting and taxation), PCS (work on the tax gap) and ICTD (Work on unitary tax) would appear sufficient reward for a role where he might have some influence ?
Somebody who actually had the morality, and desire for change, which he professes to have, would pay to hold this position, never mind asking for more pieces of silver.
Deceitful, cowardly, disingenuous, hypocritical, mendacious, venal cunt.
@Worzel
A neat, concise and accurate summary of your comment which does full justice to Murphy would be to simply repeat your last word.
Thanks Andrew, will have a look. I meet 3 of the criteria.
I wonder if Ian Hislop could be persuaded to do a new regular section in Private Eye on relevant gaffs, whining and hypocritical posturings by the fat fvcker- perhaps called “Murphballs”?
With due respect to Tim, I guess readership here is not massive and Murphy is an expanding poisonous blot on the landscape who merits wider ridicule.
I imagine there would be a demand to read of them, given the recent public profile of the man: particularly after the Cameron put down (or poor taste joke as Murphy would have it).
I was thinking of having a look too. It’s square in the middle of one of my roles, which is to get HMRC to listen to the voice of SMEs.
Unfortunately 8 days, plus time out to travel to London, is probably too much for me; but I might be able to get someone London-based to have a crack at it.
Can someone (not me) set up a Kickstarter campaign to fund the great Murphmonster for his time for this activity.
It’s a win win, either it raises a few grand which the makes him put up or shut up ( and get humiliated in public as his application fails anyway) or he’s publiclyl humilitated when the campaign only raise £2.50.
“Why should a small business person lose revenue to work for HMRC?”
Ohh, teh ironies!
Given his “all money belongs to the state and they decide what you keep” I can’t see the problem with HMRC wanting free advisors, it’s just them deciding not to give you back some pocket money. Though you have to admire his attempt to bring in minimum wage legislation, wonder if that means he would do it for minimum wage or if that would still be too little.
Seriously though you would think the value in being in such a role as relating to his profession of charging for his thoughts might be more than enough compensation, you know in the sense of value from an economists perspective. Maybe value is one of those terms he doesn’t understand.
Happy to do speaking engagements for Team Corbyn for free, and appear on the BBC and other shows, so there’s no objection to doing unpaid work, and no objection to doing it for public bodies unaccountable to the people who pay for it.
He must object to doing it for HMRC.
Maybe he realises he would get his arse handed to him on a plate every time he opened his mouth.
Each applicant has to specify which of the four areas he/she wishes to represent. The four outside committee members will be outvoted by the six HMRC committee members even if they vote as a bloc when they are expected to represent different interests.
While I do have expertise covering most, I think all, categories, that is not what they want – they want an advocate for each category.
BBC ain’t free. You get a fee for every appearance. Maybe only £50 plus a cab for a radio appearance but you do get something. I’ve pottered off to hte Faro studio for example and got $50 for a tank of petrol (well over the top but hey!) plus £60. Fair compo for 60 minutes in the studio plus an hour’s driving.
@Tim – Indeed. It’s bad enough to read and hear the shyte Murphy spouts on the BBC but even more galling that you know he is being paid for it.
Like the drivel he came out with when that alleged scam over the employers’ NI £2k break came out. He droned on about what a scandal it was on the BBC and I had to point out on his blog that there was clear anti-avoidance legislation already in place to prevent it. So called tax expert Murphy claimed he had ‘forgotten that’. Bollocks. Basic stuff. He just never knew it. Like someone claiming to be a car mechanic claiming he had forgotten you have to put petrol in the fuel tank to make a car go.
“Maybe value is one of those terms he doesn’t understand”
Not just Himself either.
However much money the government prints, or our banks create, nothing has been produced.
There may well be benefits resulting, but these are not guaranteed.