http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8080379.stm

lol!

So let me get this clear, we don’t think he’d actually asked him the question? 😀

This is one of those ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ moments isn’t it. I think by refusing to accept the premise of the question in order not to give it credibility, William Hague gives far more credibility than he would had he just answered the question in the first place.
I have to say I do like Paxman’s tenacity. He definitely earns his salary at the BBC.

I’m not sure that even counts as refusing to accept the premise of the question… 🙂

We can be fairly sure on the basis of that edifying exchange that:

– Ashcroft self-assesses for tax purposes on the basis that he isn’t UK resident but sails sufficiently close to the wind in claiming to be non-resident that it is not noticeable that he isn’t resident.
– Wlliam Hague knows this.
– Hague has never asked.
– Ashcroft has never told Hague expressly.

why doesn’t he just ask him?

If Ashcroft (or any other MP) is on the fiddle, sack them. If the fiddle is criminal, prosecute them.

Any politician that willfully evades a repeated question clearly has something to hide, Hague isn’t the first and won’t be the last. If Hague didn’t know the answer to the question, he just had to say that he didn’t know. It is safe to assume he knew full well judging by this video.

Do these politicians think we are so stupid that we can’t see through the smoke screen?

What Big Dummy said.

Do these politicians think we are so stupid that we can’t see through the smoke screen?

Do you really need an answer to this? Anyway, it is because they know full well that the vast majority of the public a) don’t care and b) don’t understand.

Unfortunatly you are correct there nickc 😐