Government finally sees the light over non-doms

1.24.07pm GMT Tue 2nd Feb 2010

Labour has finally seen Lib Dem sense on parliamentarians who don't pay UK tax

Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Lord (Matthew) Oakeshott has welcomed the Government's announcement today [Monday] that non-doms will no longer be able to sit in Parliament. The Government has sent a letter to all peers today explaining how the new law will affect them.

Commenting, Lord Oakeshott said: "I have introduced 4 bills over the last 5 years to ban non-doms from the House of Lords with no support from the Government and with serious obstruction from the Conservatives.

"Now, with an election looming, I am delighted that the Government has had this last-minute conversion and adopted my Bill almost to the letter in their amendment.

"It's outrageous if people who sit in our Parliament do not pay full British taxes like everyone else. They must pay up or pack up."