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Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill

The hon. and learned Gentleman has put his name to these new clauses, and as such I would have hoped that he understood the purpose of a deeming mechanism. He keeps referring to people putting their affairs in order, but it is not clear whether he means their financial affairs or their status as a non-domicile, or in any other way. We have chosen this mechanism of deeming someone to be ordinarily resident and domiciled for a very particular reason. There may be a perfectly good, entirely benign reason, which has nothing to do with their tax affairs, why someone might wish not to change their status in the way that he mentions. That is perfectly fine, but what is not fine is that Members of this Parliament should not be placed in exactly the same position as the vast majority of British citizens for whom this place legislates. If people are prepared to pay tax in this country, like the vast majority of British citizens, that is fine, and they have three months to put themselves in order. If they do not want to do that, that is also fine, and they can cease being a Member of Parliament. I hope that the hon. and learned Gentleman fully understands the purpose of the deeming mechanism in these provisions.