Tax lawyer and often-cited “independent expert” Dan Neidle was widely printed following the budget with his claims that Reeves’ disastrous Farm Tax would affect below 500 farms per year. Neidle loudly supported the government before backtracking a month later and admitting farmers would be unfairly hit…
Now Guido can reveal Neidle has been privately in touch with the government. Along with the tax’s architect Arun Advani, Neidle provided early cover for Reeves and was quoted in BBC Verify’s government-sympathetic coverage (which failed to mention he is a senior Labour activist). He boldly claimed as few as 100 farms a year may be affected by the tax. A Freedom of Information request fired by Guido sought to work out whether Neidle had been in private discussions with James Murray – the Treasury minister responsible for tax. He has…
The Treasury blocked the release of the contents on the grounds that it would “constitute a breach of confidence actionable by that or any other person. This is an absolute exemption which does not require us to consider the public interest balance in disclosure.” It does however admit that “HM Treasury does hold correspondence between Dan Neidle and the Private Office of the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.” What does the Treasury have to hide?
Speaking to Sky News off the back of Rachel Reeves’ Air Passenger Duty hike, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said:
“Labour is dependent on those Red Wall seats, and yet every move she makes poisons economic growth and damages the UK’s recovery… it’s the Chancellor who stumbles from policy misstep to policy misstep… I think her policy decisions are incredibly stupid.”