Blairs avoided £300,000 tax bill on London house

The Independent's Morning Headlines email

View online October 04, 2021   1 / Tony and Cherie Blair avoided paying £312,000 in tax on London property by acquiring offshore firm Tony and Cherie Blair avoided paying £312,000 in tax on the purchase of a London property by acquiring an offshore company, according to a trove of leaked documents.   The former prime minister and his wife bought the £6.45m townhouse on Harcourt Street, Marylebone, in 2017 as an office for her legal advisory firm Omnia and her foundation for women.   The manner of the deal allowed the Blairs to avoid having to pay stamp duty, as the tax is not paid when the holding company of a property is acquired rather than the building directly.   There is no suggestion the Blairs actively tried to avoid paying the tax and the transaction was not illegal.   2 / Johnson tells business leaders it is their job to prevent Christmas food shortages 'Government can't step in and fix the supply chain,' PM insists   3 / Albania angrily denies refugee deal with 'anti-immigration' UK Balkan country will not offset 'policies of bigger and richer countries', foreign minister says 4 / Serving Metropolitan Police officer charged with rape David Carrick, 46, is a member of force's parliamentary protection command   5 / John Barrowman dropped from ITV's Dancing on Ice after flashing claims Actor will still appear in upcoming special episodes of All Star Musicals The Big Question     What now for James Bond? After repeated delays throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Daniel Craig is finally back on the big screen as Ian Fleming's legendary British superspy James Bond in No Time to Die, his fifth and final outing in the iconic role.   But where next for 007? Craig has dragged the character into the 21st century and done much to modernise Bond's image for the better since making his debut in Casino Royale way in 2006. Speculation is always rife about whether the next inhabitant of the signature tuxedo might be a woman or person of colour but would such a move amount to anything more than a superficial reboot? The Independent's film critic, Clarisse Loughrey, ponders the question. Read the full story >   Watch / Police are 'overwhelmingly trustworthy', Boris Johnson says  NUMBER OF THE DAY £1,000 The current maxiumum fine that can be imposed on those obstructing a highway, and which is in the spotlight following a series of protests by climate activists who have blocked major UK motorways  QUOTE OF THE DAY "Boris Johnson owes the British people an apology. With the country literally running on vapours, basic competence is in short supply."   –  Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooker  Other stories you might like Merseyside Labour MPs accuse Keir Starmer of 'betrayal' over article in The Sun Thousands of priests abused children in France, inquiry finds Military tankers begin delivering fuel in bid to ease UK's supply crisis If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters.     Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.