Commenting on David Gauke’s criticism of cash-in-hand payments as ‘immoral’, and the accusation that HMRC are encouraging school children to ‘become state spies’ and report neighbours who pay too little in tax, UK Uncut spokeswoman Kat Templeton said:

‘Maybe HMRC are turning to school children for help because the Coalition are cutting 10,000 jobs from the department. The government are leaving HMRC powerless to take on the super-rich who dodge billions of pounds in tax every year.

There is £13 trillion currently sitting in tax havens, more than the combined GDP of the USA and Japan. Plumbers, cleaners and carpenters didn’t take that money out of our economy, companies like Vodafone and Barclays did. We’re going to need more than just school children to get this money back.

The government need to start taking tax avoidance seriously. Clamping down on tax dodging by superrich corporations and individuals offers a genuine alternative to the cuts to our vital public services, which have driven us back into recession and are devestating peoples’ lives.’