Regular readers will remember that Guido and Andrew Pierce have not always seen eye to eye, but credit where credit is due. Pierce’s column today will make for uncomfortable reading for both of the Miliband brothers as he exposes David’s perfectly legal, but thumb-nosing and hypocritical, tax arrangements:

“Quietly, he has set up a company called ‘The Office of David Miliband Limited’, which will be a tax-efficient vehicle for his non-parliamentary earnings. This means that all payments the former Foreign Secretary receives from commercial speaking engagements and other lucrative private work will be paid into the firm. It will be subject to corporation tax of 20 per cent”

It makes complete sense as who would go out of their way to maximize their tax payments, but given that David was in the cabinet that introduced the aspiration-killing 50p tax rate it is rather telling that he doesn’t want to pay it himself. Will the militant-wing of HMRC, UKUncut, be occupying David’s Primrose Hill mansion in protest? They can also complain about the death tax on the property that the family conveniently got round while they are at it.

UPDATE: Strike the niceties, Guido is reminded that the Carina Trimingham/Huhne story that Pierce included in his column appeared here first. The Guinness story was Paul Waugh’s last week too. The invoice is in the post.