St Helena’s quite nice at this time of year, with merely gentle autumn gales. The future for Scotland’s banking Napoleon looks as bleak as the island’s most famous resident enjoyed, in his sojourn at the southern edges of the British Empire. But Sir Fred could enjoy a comeback. He’d savour public favour instead of opprobrium, as a benefactor of the underside of our society. How?
It’s relatively simple Sir Fred. Many of our disabled charities struggle to survive with a serious squeeze on donations. The admirable Disability Income Group folded recently. Wealthy donors are about as obvious as a Celtic fan in green and white at Ibrox.
But when you make a donation to a charity, and fill in the “Gift Aid” form, the government pays the tax on that sum to your given charity. So let’s look at the situation facing the former most powerful man in the Scottish financial establishment. On one hand…St Helena in disgrace, but with £700,00 a year to spend, and nae shops, or… GIFT AID.
If Fred, (excuse me for quietly dropping the knighthood), if he were to gift aid 75% of his pension, then government would have to top that up. And that’s by the standard income tax of the day. In other words, the man facing humiliation could quietly retain a pension of around £175,000; yet the selected charities would win about…quickly please with the sums now readers… yes £700,000!
Now, I suspect that on a gross pension of £3,365 a week the former RBS man could get by. After all an OAP has to manage on £90.70, whilst the lower rate of Incapacity Benefit is £61.35. That sum is almost 55 times lower than this suggested Goodwin take home, yet Fred could enjoy it all. He could bask in the glory (that’s too Jeffrey Archer like) of his rehabilitation. Just think of what Capability Scotland and the Leonard Cheshire organisations could do for Scotland’s disabled, with an additional £700,000 each year.
OK Fred, how about it? Acclaim, financial comfort for your family, and great help for the disabled, or St Helena? Your choice.
Recent Comments