That’s rich, Sir Mick! Tax exile Jagger bleats about Brexit turning UK into...a tax haven
SIR Mick Jagger has mocked Brexit with two highly political songs called England Lost and Gotta Get A Grip.
The Rolling Stones singer released the solo tracks on Thursday, a day after his 74th birthday. The two songs give a sneering take on many controversial topics including immigration, ‘fake news’, anti-intellectualism and the refugee crisis.
Although neither song explicitly mentions Brexit or Donald Trump, the themes obviously influenced his lyrics.
‘I went to find England, it wasn’t there,’ he sings on England Lost, adding: ‘I think I’m losing my imagination, tired of talking about immigration.’
He also hints at fears that Brexit will make the UK a tax haven for the rich in the way that Singapore is now, singing: ‘Lock the
‘The unknowability about where you are’
shutters, bolt the doors, London’s gonna be like Singapore.’
Ironically, Sir Mick – said to have a £200million fortune – became a tax exile more than 40 years ago when he moved to france.
And the New york Times has reported that for decades he and his bandmates Keith Richards and Charlie Watts used a Dutch accounting firm, Promogroup, to ease their tax burden. Under Dutch law, there is no direct tax on royalties.
In the video accompanying England Lost, Hollywood actor Luke Evans is seen running through a dilapidated 21st century Britain. He eventually charges out to sea before being dragged screaming back to shore.
Talking to the BBC’s Zane Lowe about England Lost, Sir Mick said: ‘It’s about a feeling that we are in a difficult moment in our history.
‘It’s about the unknowability about where you are and the feeling of insecurity. That’s how I was feeling when I was writing.’
The singer takes politicians to task on Gotta Get A Grip, with references to overblown promises made on the campaign trail. ‘The world is upside down, led by lunatics and clowns,’ he sings at one point. ‘No one speaks the truth and the madhouse runs the town.’
He also alludes to immigration fears and Michael Gove’s comment during the run-up to the EU referendum that ‘people in this country have had enough of experts’.
He sings: ‘Immigrants are pouring in, refugees under your skin. Keep ’em under, keep ’em out, intellectuals shut your mouth.’ Despite his antipathy towards Britain’s current political climate, Sir Mick spoke out in favour of Brexit before the referendum last year. Speaking to Sky News in April 2016, he said: ‘To me personally, I don’t think it is going to make a huge difference.
‘I think to the country in the short term [leaving the EU] will be detrimental. In the longer term, in a 20-year term, it might turn out to be beneficial.’