Burlesque club? The five oddest parliamentary Q&As

You would think a Member of Parliament, faithfully supported by more than 19,000 constituents in Coventry South, would know his stuff about VAT.

clock •

You would think a Member of Parliament, faithfully supported by more than 19,000 constituents in Coventry South, would know his stuff about VAT.

However, after this amusing written question and answer exchange with the Treasury on Thursday, we're guessing Jim Cunningham MP might have been left a little red-faced: Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the rise in VAT in January 2012 on small businesses. Mr Gauke: There was no increase in VAT in January 2012. Poring over hours of live coverage and the Hansard records every week here at IFAonline, we rarely get excited by the goings on in Westminster. However, every once in a while an exchange will co...

To continue reading this article...

Join Professional Adviser for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, industry insights and market intelligence
  • Stay ahead of the curve with spotlights on emerging trends and technologies
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletters
  • Make smart business decisions with the latest developments in regulation, investing retirement and protection
  • Members-only access to the editor’s weekly Friday commentary
  • Be the first to hear about our events and awards programmes

Join

 

Already a Professional Adviser member?

Login

More on Your profession

Advised clients want more personal investment communication

Advised clients want more personal investment communication

Four in ten say comms focused more on product than goals

Jenna Brown
clock 12 November 2026 • 3 min read
How economic abuse manifests itself in pensions, mortgages and protection

How economic abuse manifests itself in pensions, mortgages and protection

Second in a three part series

Shelley Read
clock 11 November 2026 • 5 min read
Celtic FP founder launches online admin platform for advisers

Celtic FP founder launches online admin platform for advisers

‘Developed by people who understand the industry’

Jenna Brown
clock 10 November 2026 • 2 min read