You appear to imply that the British government contains 'unsavoury characters.'

You may think that, I couldn't possibly comment.

One's opinion of some politicians, one way or t'other, is not an excuse to avoid taxes. If people wish to live here, they should pay their fair share like the rest of us.

Yet, you would like some people, on moral grounds, although presumably not yourself, do themselves and their families a dis-service, by giving this same government over and above what is already taken from them in tax, extra money to waste/spend.

I see, so for the purposes of this discussion, we should completely disregard all those wealthy individuals who live here, but who by virtue of being domiciled elsewhere, avoid tax. They don't count.

Ashcroft's not unique by any means. Zak Goldsmith MP, another multi-millionaire who bought his way into parliament, is said to have avoided payment of nearly £6m in tax over a period of 10 years by adopting non-domiciled status, until pressured by David Cameron into giving up the non-dom status he inherited from his father. There are many more in public life, who have behaved likewise. Avoidance on this scale costs the Treasury billions of pounds a year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/13/zac-goldsmith...

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with his [Lord Ashcroft's] tax affairs.

The OP's comments, to which you responded, were made on moral, not legal grounds.