Them & Us

Image Suzanne Beishon

Image Suzanne Beishon   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Them & Us

Panama Papers

The global super-rich and its leading politicians have been caught out dodging tax yet again. Read more on history’s biggest data leak – ‘Panama Papers: they’re all in it together!


£67 billion

Estimated value of investments held by the family of Chinese premier Xi Jinping in June 2012 according to Bloomberg. The ‘Communist’ dictator’s family has also been implicated in the Panama Papers.

£2,900

Approximate average annual private sector salary in China, 2012, based on International Labor Organization figures.


£1.4 billion

Money linked back to Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Panama Papers.

£4,200

Average annual salary in Russia.


£10 million

2009 Sunday Times Rich List estimation of David Cameron’s dad’s wealth, reputedly stashed in tax havens. Sure enough, the Cameron family turns up in the Panama Papers.

£26,500

Average annual salary in the UK.


Brokers binge…

Financiers on a night out in London’s West End racked up a bill of over £11,000 on Scottish food and drink.

Restaurant Mac & Wild in the capital’s exclusive Fitzrovia district played host to City boys who “went all out and got a meal fit for William Wallace”. Their feast included ten bottles of Glenrothes 88 Speyside Single Malt.

The Socialist has heard the phrase “one for the road” – but when it comes to super-rich excess, why stop at one? The casino capitalists apparently ordered 100 bottles of whisky to go.

The bill, including over a grand in service charge, came to £11,281.53.

…contractors broke

The Tories’ new National ‘Living’ Wage, which is nothing of the sort, misses out 1.7 million self-employed workers. That’s on top of four million workers aged 16 to 24 who aren’t eligible.

The Social Market Foundation think tank analysed government statistics to find that 49% of contractors are low-paid on an hourly basis.

Many ‘self-employed’ workers are actually employees in all but name. Their self-employed status means the bosses don’t have to guarantee work, or pay for holidays and sick leave.