Hailing the Google tax settlement a ‘major success’ – a misstep avoided by the canny PM – serves to underline the chancellor’s over-confidenceOh dear. First,trouble over the government’s pension “reforms” and bank regulation, now over its short-lived triumph over Google’s tax bill. It’s been a evil few days for cocky George Osborne, and further indication that his hopes of succeeding David Cameron as prime minister are just that. What’s more,his likely fate will echo that of Cecil Parkinson, who died on Monday and who also aspired to the top job as Margaret Thatcher’s protege, and but was let down by character flaws. And we haven’t even mentioned Sir Nick MacPherson’s far-sighted tax planning yet.
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Source: theguardian.com