George Osborne has broken his silence over the tax scandal surrounding HSBC by saying that it should be left to the courts to deal with any wrongdoing.
The chancellor spoke out after claims that he was ducking questions over the bank and why there had been only one prosecution after allegations of tax evasion through its Swiss subsidiary. He has also faced calls to explain why Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, HSBC’s former boss, was hired as a minister, although Lord Green has denied any wrongdoing.
Speaking at an event at Tate Modern in London yesterday, Mr Osborne said that the allegations were “very serious”, but he warned that not involving politicians in deciding whom to prosecute was “one of the bulwarks of freedom in this