[rmc]

It's always funny when Brits complain about foreign tax havens. The UK is a massive tax haven, with oodles of little overseas territories, or Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.

[marrs]

Neither the Isle of Man nor the Channel Islands are a part of the UK.

[pjc50]

Urgh. This is part of the problem. They're Crown Dependencies. They're neither fully independent countries nor part of the UK. They're accountable to their own local electorates but host a lot of firms doing business that's really in other countries. They're ideal tax havens.

I am fond of the constitutional tweeness of Man, Sark, etc, but their situation really does need to be regularised.

[spacecowboy_lon]

The last time that was on the cards suddenly all the MP"s expenses got stolen then exposed by a news paper whose owners live on sark.

Not that I am saying the two are related of course Inocent Grin

[bpodgursky]

If the Isle of Man was invaded, the UK would be the one defending it.

The legal wordplay is irrelevant; it has no effective sovereignty if it cannot even put up a semblance of defending its own borders.

[JupiterMoon]

In general if we know about them (most people don't) we object to this just as much. NB the channel islands aren't strictly speaking a part of the UK.