Cameron: Government 'not a bunch of accountants'
Sorting out government finances not just a business turnaround exercise, says the prime minister
THE PRIME MINISTER has said that the government is “not just a bunch of accountants trying to turn around the British economy as if it were a failing company”.
In an article written for the Daily Telegraph, David Cameron said that the public need to be shown that the government is attempting to help individuals, and change the perception that it is starkly looking to reduce deficit figures.
“That’s why the actions we’ve taken – such as freezing the council tax, making cuts to fuel duty and raising the personal allowance so you keep more before you start paying tax – are so important,” he added.
It is the second time in recent weeks that Cameron has referred to accountants in a less than flattering light. He used the same example during an interview with the BBC’s Nick Robinson.
Chancellor George Osborne, during his Budget speech, said: “Under the last government…it was the boast of some high earners that, with the help of their accountants, they were paying less in tax than their cleaners.”
In an open letter to Cameron, ICAEW chief executive Michael Izza stated that accountancy drove the professional services sector, and that advisors have called for a less complex tax system, as the current regime facilitates tax avoidance.
Izza also invited Cameron to visit a firm to see the work undertaken to help small businesses.