The tax gap was raised on BBC 1’s Question Time programme ten days ago.

And it got on again last week — with explicit reference again to my estimate of the tax gap — start here at about 46 minutes in.

That’s two weeks in a row people have asked the legitimate question “why cuts when tackling the tax gap is an option?”

Simon Hughes’ answer for the Lib Dems was pathetic. Saying “we’re going to spend a billion to raise 7 billion” is absurd. We know the average front line investigator raises up to thirty times their salary now. Why are the new ones going to be so badly directed they will only operate at 25% efficiency?