MAY I, through your letters page, illustrate the perfect example of distraction politics, shown by the letter on benefit fraud by Tom Davies, Fareham Conservatives (Letters, November 19).
He is quite right, of course to condemn benefit fraud. It reduces the help those in genuine need should get. However, he seems to deliberately miss, or perhaps is not aware of, the bigger picture.
The £4.6 billion “overpayment” i.e. fraud, represents 3.65 per cent of the £126 billion that the exchequer is deprived of each year by large companies and wealthy individuals placing their money “off-shore”. Yet oddly enough these are the people enjoying cuts to the top rate of tax. The figures are based on those published by ONS.
His letter is also a perfect example of Tory divide and rule politics. In other words, set part of the working population against the other while they manipulate the system.
I would hate to be thought as cynical, but I don’t suppose his oversight in not mentioning this blatant tax avoidance has anything to do with the fact that they are the people who generously fund the Tory Party.
D R SMITH Bitterne
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