I REFER to an article in the national media of UNDER plans being put forward by the inept bunch of clowns at Westminster to crack down on people in this great country who are avoiding paying tax, the Inland Revenue and Customs Office would be allowed to view an entire year’s bank statements. The plan may come into force within the next year and the HMRC will have the power to take cash direct from people’s accounts.

This has brought howls of anguish from MPs, quoting the civil liberties enshrined in the Magna Carta. The chief executive of the HMRC stated that these powers would not be misused. She also stated there are 17,000 cases a year of people who admit they owe tax, but refuse to pay and they have thousands in their accounts. I find this scandalous.

While these MPs howl about civil rights this government shows a lack of humanity towards the rest of us. What about the civil rights of the sick and disabled who are existing on handouts from food banks and are burdened with the hated bedroom tax. These MPs and their ilk are all right with their obscene salaries and expenses and many directorship and would hide their loot abroad.

Mr C P Robins, Channel View, Pontymister