George Osborne Once Gave Advice On How To Avoid Tax On BBC's Daily Politics

A Clip From 2003's Daily Politics That George Osborne Would Rather Forget

With another tax avoidance row hitting the headlines, the Tories have busily tried to push the spotlight onto Labour and the tax arrangements of various figures, including party donors and leader Ed Miliband.

Why has Tory chairman Grant Shapps led the attack on Labour, rather than a senior cabinet minister like chancellor George Osborne? Could it have anything at all to do with this rather bizarre appearance that the chancellor made on live television more than a decade ago, when he appeared to advise people on how to avoid tax?

BBC Daily Politics star George Osborne advises on how to avoid inheritance tax

Back in May 2003, then backbencher Osborne, starring as the "parliamentary doctor" on the BBC's Daily Politics, and gave advice to a caller - 'Bill' - on how to get around paying inheritance tax on any property that he leaves to his children by using "clever financial products", and also how to ensure the state then pays for his personal care.

"I probably shouldn't be advocating this on television," he mused.

Later on, in 2007, the then shadow chancellor Osborne did his best to help people like Bill by promising to triple the inheritance tax threshold from £300,000 to £1m if Tories won the next election.

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