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| Boris Johnson in foul-mouthed rant at Ken Livingstone over tax claims | Boris Johnson in foul-mouthed rant at Ken Livingstone over tax claims |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson has accused Ken Livingstone of being "a fucking liar" in a furious confrontation in a lift following a live radio debate. | Boris Johnson has accused Ken Livingstone of being "a fucking liar" in a furious confrontation in a lift following a live radio debate. |
| Tensions boiled over after a London mayoral hustings on LBC 97.3 in which Johnson, the current mayor, and Livingstone, Labour's candidate, clashed over their respective tax arrangements. | |
| The four candidates – including the Lib Dems' Brian Paddick, and Jenny Jones for the Greens – had begun the day in good spirits, arriving at the studio for a one-hour hustings. Johnson made to hand his coat to Livingstone, as if mistaking him for a member of staff, to the amusement of some. | |
| But once the debate began the mood became increasingly fractious, culminating in a heated discussion after Livingstone told listeners that the Conservative incumbent used exactly the same tax arrangements as he did for the payment of media earnings. | But once the debate began the mood became increasingly fractious, culminating in a heated discussion after Livingstone told listeners that the Conservative incumbent used exactly the same tax arrangements as he did for the payment of media earnings. |
| Livingstone has been accused of hypocrisy for denouncing those who avoid tax while having set up a company, Silveta Ltd, to channel his earnings and pay corporation tax at 20% rather than income tax at a higher rate. | |
| An incensed Johnson unleashed his ire after the debate in the confines of the lift. In front of Paddick, Jones, and LBC's managing editor James Rea, a reportedly red faced Johnson went "nose to nose" with Livingstone and told him three times over: "You are a fucking liar". The candidates then emerged from the lift to talk to the media on LBC's roof terrace | An incensed Johnson unleashed his ire after the debate in the confines of the lift. In front of Paddick, Jones, and LBC's managing editor James Rea, a reportedly red faced Johnson went "nose to nose" with Livingstone and told him three times over: "You are a fucking liar". The candidates then emerged from the lift to talk to the media on LBC's roof terrace |
| The private exchange followed strong words from Johnson during the live radio hustings. Pressed by a listener on why Livingstone thought hard-pressed Londoners would want a candidate who avoided his taxes, the Labour candidate accused the mayor of having "the same arrangements" for dealing with his media earnings as he had, insisting he had used a company called Finland Station. | The private exchange followed strong words from Johnson during the live radio hustings. Pressed by a listener on why Livingstone thought hard-pressed Londoners would want a candidate who avoided his taxes, the Labour candidate accused the mayor of having "the same arrangements" for dealing with his media earnings as he had, insisting he had used a company called Finland Station. |
| An incensed Johnson called the claim "lies": "I have never used a company to minimise my tax," he said. "There was a TV production company which I was briefly a director of but I certainly never ... I have always paid full income tax." | An incensed Johnson called the claim "lies": "I have never used a company to minimise my tax," he said. "There was a TV production company which I was briefly a director of but I certainly never ... I have always paid full income tax." |
| Livingstone said in a statement after the fracas that Johnson had lost his temper "because he lost the debate — he talked about cable cars not cutting fares and the squeeze on Londoners". | Livingstone said in a statement after the fracas that Johnson had lost his temper "because he lost the debate — he talked about cable cars not cutting fares and the squeeze on Londoners". |
| Johnson's aides released a letter dated 12 March from the mayor's personal accountant, Robert Maples, stating that Johnson is "liable to income tax on the entirety of his earnings and has made all due payments. He is not party to any tax avoidance or deferral schemes, nor has any of his income been transferred to any other members of his family." | Johnson's aides released a letter dated 12 March from the mayor's personal accountant, Robert Maples, stating that Johnson is "liable to income tax on the entirety of his earnings and has made all due payments. He is not party to any tax avoidance or deferral schemes, nor has any of his income been transferred to any other members of his family." |
| Johnson also issued a statement to refute the claims made by Livingstone. "In relation to my business affairs and tax arrangements, specifically do I have any company or other arrangements constructed to enable me to pay less tax and do I, as has been claimed by the Labour mayoral candidate and the opposition eader, have the same arrangements as Labour's mayoral candidate. The answer is simple and unequivocal in both cases. No. | Johnson also issued a statement to refute the claims made by Livingstone. "In relation to my business affairs and tax arrangements, specifically do I have any company or other arrangements constructed to enable me to pay less tax and do I, as has been claimed by the Labour mayoral candidate and the opposition eader, have the same arrangements as Labour's mayoral candidate. The answer is simple and unequivocal in both cases. No. |
| "My salary as mayor is taxed as an employee of the GLA. In the same way as when I was an MP my salary was taxed as an employee. Any other income that I have received from outside endeavours has been received on a self-employed basis, to me as an individual (no company or other structure has been involved). No income earned by me has ever been paid to a "service" company, through which a person or person's freelance earnings can be channelled so that they pay corporation rather than income tax. To suggest otherwise is a complete and utter fabrication." | "My salary as mayor is taxed as an employee of the GLA. In the same way as when I was an MP my salary was taxed as an employee. Any other income that I have received from outside endeavours has been received on a self-employed basis, to me as an individual (no company or other structure has been involved). No income earned by me has ever been paid to a "service" company, through which a person or person's freelance earnings can be channelled so that they pay corporation rather than income tax. To suggest otherwise is a complete and utter fabrication." |