Tax Matters

(In the voice of E L Whisty)

Dear Gideon,
I hope you forgive the familiarity of my calling you that but since your hands have been all over my assets I feel a certain closeness. I am writing to you because I would like to pay my income tax at the same rate as a certain Mr Barclay who owns a bank in these parts. If I am to believe a report in the Grauniad newspaper today he is charged a very reasonable 1 %. I took the liberty, recently, of submitting a tax return to you in which I calculated that my income attracted a much higher rate and that even after this I still owed Her Delightful Majesty's Revenue and Customs Service 35p.

I am an old man surviving, for want of a better word, on a small pension. I have to use the local library (due for closure) for books which I cannot afford to buy. I try to get out now and then to places like Thetford Forest (rescued from privatisation, for the time being) but the local public transport is appalling and the kindly folk at Suffolk County Council are restricting the use I make of my travel card.

I know you think I shouldn't complain. I live in a peaceful country free from nuclear attack and screaming jihadis. A land of plenty of litter where pit bulls and rottweilers roam free.

If you could see your way to a 1% tax on my meagre income I would be very grateful and would see you alright, if you know what I mean. I don't want to be too explicit in case I get you into trouble, but expect a plain brown envelope to arrive any day soon.

I look forward to hearing from Her Delightful Majesty's Revenue and Customs Service in due course and if you could forget the 35p we can call it quits.

Yours and Oblige,

Lord Buddhist Pizza
c/o Barclays Bank
Cayman Islands.