Political update: October 2023

CIOT, ATT and LITRG have attended a number of meetings with ministers and advisers since the election, including a discussion on which reforms to the tax system we would prioritise and how the tax system can support economic growth. (Views expressed broadly reflected our letters published at tinyurl.com/ATT-XST and tinyurl.com/CIOT-XST24, and Charlotte Barbour’s article at tinyurl.com/TaxFT.)

CIOT and ATT have identified 30 to 40new MPs as having a connection or interest in tax, economics or finance. As MPs returned to Westminster after the summer recess, we wrote to congratulate them, introduce ourselves and offer a meeting. We are attending Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative party conferences this year to make connections and report on policy developments, but we are not holding events of our own this year, having taken a decision early in the year that uncertainty around the election date made this difficult.

Among the MPs we’ve written to is the new Conservative member for Reigate, Rebecca Paul, who is a Chartered Tax Adviser and former Head of UK Tax for Diageo. Her election keeps the tally of CTAs in the Commons at two, following Craig Mackinlay’s decision to step down at the election. We look forward to seeing Craig take his seat in the House of Lords shortly, joining Lord Leigh of Hurley CTA, who chaired the House of Lords Finance Bill Sub-Committee in the last Parliament. We also congratulate Dame Karen Bradley CTA on her election as chair of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee. We look forward to all the select committees being formed and beginning their important scrutiny work in October.