BBC and Guardian criticised for withholding tax evidence

Hayley Dixon

Steven Swinford

THERESA MAY is “frustrated” at the refusal of the BBC and The Guardian to hand over evidence from the so-called Paradise Papers on which they are basing calls for further tax transparency, her spokesman has said.

HMRC requested 11 days ago that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and its partners – the BBC and The Guardian – share the information that has been leaked, but the documents have not been forthcoming.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Where journalists are advocating for further tax transparency we would wish to see that information rather than for it to be held back.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “The raw data is actually held by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists not the BBC, and therefore we are not in position to share this.”

The latest revelations from the cache of 13.4million documents have led to ac- cusations that the Prince of Wales campaigned on climate change without declaring his investment in an offshore company that could benefit. Prince Charles’s private estate has invested in offshore companies and funds, including shares worth £58,000 in Bermudabased Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd run by his friend Hugh van Cutsem.

A spokesman said: “The Prince has never chosen to speak out on a topic simply because of a company that the Duchy may have invested in. He has been warning of the threat of global warming to our environment for over 30 years.”

♦ Two Labour councils used offshore companies to avoid £12 million in stamp duty, it emerged last night. There is no suggestion the schemes are illegal, but political rivals have accused the party of hypocrisy. Labour said: “We’re committed to changing the current tax environment and to tackling tax avoidance.”