Are Geoff Hoon's Fingers Crossed When it Comes to CGT?

Hazel Blears has been singled out for not paying the capital gains tax on a London flat which was designated by the Fees Office as her second home. She has since paid a cheque for £13,000 to the HMRC, and made it clear that she recognises people’s anger. But what about her Cabinet colleague Geoff Hoon?

“Other Cabinet ministers, including Geoff Hoon, the Transport Secretary, were refusing to say whether they benefited similarly on properties that had been registered as second homes.”
Daily Telegraph 12th May 2009

“Yesterday it emerged that Nick Brown, the Chief Whip, was leading efforts to establish whether Geoff Hoon, the Transport Secretary, would have to repay thousands in capital gains tax. In 2006, Mr Hoon sold a property in Lambeth, south London, that between 1992 and 1997 he listed with the Commons as his second home. He was estimated to have made a profit of more than £300,000 on the sale of the home but has yet to say whether he paid tax.”
Daily Telegraph 14th May 2009

So has Cabinet Minister Geoff Hoon committed exactly the same misdemeanour as Hazel Blears, but hopes no-one will notice? By saying nothing, does he hope he will get away with it, and keep the cash? Has he paid CGT or not? If he has, why won’t he just say so?

Perhaps my my friends in Her Majesty's Press might like to quiz him on this. Hard.

That's Rich of Geoff Hoon

When discussing MPs pay and expenses last night Geoff Hoon said on Question Time: “I am not rich…", which is interesting seeing as he earns more than £135,000 a year and was a barrister before entering Parliament. I have no problem with that at all, but to suggest that he wears a hairshirt, or ever did, is stretching it a bit.

This does beg a question: when do you become rich? Is it when your net assets are worth above a certain amount, or do people judge 'richness' on annual income?

Or have we reached a point where the concepts of richness and poverty have all become relative - a bit like left and right? Discuss.