Thank You Jimmy Carr

The story to grab the most headlines over the last week has been comedian Jimmy Carr making a one line joke at one of his shows that he avoids paying tax by employing a tax specialist and using an offshore tax avoidance scheme. The media, politicians and the general public cried outrage and Jimmy Carr issued a full apology and withdrew from the tax avoidance scheme to put an end to the negative publicity in the middle of a tour.

Instead of castigating the man, we should be issuing him with a public thank you from the Prime Minister, an open top parade through London and a knighthood from the Queen.

After all, if it wasn't for a joke made by a comedian how else were all in power at Downing Street going to work out that the 'shady', 'underworld' and 'secretive' tax avoidance schemes that have been advertised in the Financial Times for decades were actually depriving the public coffers legally (but not morally) of millions of tax revenue?

Thank you Jimmy Carr - we salute you.

Mr Osborne, Mr Clegg and Mr Cermeron......I am embarrassed for you.