On the money with Gavin Hinks

On the money with Gavin Hinks

As this column attempts to comment on the big personalities in finance, it falls to me to answer the key question this week ­ did Alistair Darling impress us as finance director of UK plc in his pre-Budget report?

Gavin Hinks, AccountancyAge

In many ways, this question is not about the substance of report (although
I’ll agree, it can hardly be ignored) but to do with the man. Did he have
stature, gravitas, authority? Did he look like he knew what he was doing? Answer
that and we’ll know whether we can put our trust in him.

Well, the answer is, er, difficult.

OK, there was that whole thing about stealing the Tories clothes, which, in a
way, is politically unforgivable. But perhaps it would be more unforgivable to
ignore a popular idea for the sake of not looking like your opponents.

Which brings me to my point. The balance of criticism for Darling after his
first PBR is really about presentation ­ not whether the policies/tax measures
were worth it.

Can we forgive him that? Yes and no (sorry for hedging). A senior tax adviser
has told Accountancy Age that inheritance tax, the big vote winner from the PBR,
was actually on the agenda for last March’s Budget ­ it just got shelved, as it
slipped down a lengthy list of priorities.

That would therefore enable Darling, or his master, to reinstate it as
policy, once it looked like the Tories would steal the glory, without having to
lie about it being their idea.

But it still looks like a bungle and for a profession that likes attention to
detail, straight talking and relies on reputation, reputation, reputation, it’s
a bungle that’s difficult to forget­ for a while at least.

But Darling is playing to the general public, they will forget. They will
probably only remember the policy, not who had the idea first, which is why the
Tories are really annoyed.

Gavin Hinks is editor of Accountancy Age

Share

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Resources & Whitepapers

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata
Professional Services

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folders and Embrace Metadata

3y

Why Professional Services Firms Should Ditch Folde...

In the past decade, the professional services industry has transformed significantly. Digital disruptions, increased competition, and changing market ...

View resource
2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professional Services Firms

3y

2 Vital keys to Remaining Competitive for Professi...

In recent months, professional services firms are facing more pressure than ever to deliver value to clients. Often, clients look at the firms own inf...

View resource
Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine
Accounting Firms

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

3y

Turn Accounts Payable into a value-engine

In a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...

View resource
Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021
Making Tax Digital

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

3y

Digital Links: A guide to MTD in 2021

The first phase of Making Tax Digital (MTD) saw the requirement for the digital submission of the VAT Return using compliant software. That’s now behi...

View resource