Labour minister asked 'what are you playing at?' in savage Sky News tax grilling

presenter Leah Boleto grilled Treasury Minister James Murray over the concerning rise in suicide attempts linked to an HMRC tax crackdown. This came after were accused of harassing people who were "mis-sold" when they signed up for a "loan charge" scheme that the government declared as tax avoidance, and as a result, MPs and campaigners have branded the independent review as a "cover-up".

Leah questioned the politician about the "high-pressure tactics used by HMRC on these loan charges," she added: "You campaigned when you were in opposition and said that it was a form of harassment and that people needed protecting, what are you playing at the moment?" Murray responded: "The loan charge has affected a number of people; we make commitments in opposition to have an independent review and that independent review is now underway. I need to limit what I say about that."

Murray continued: "We went to great lengths to ensure the independence of that review so that there wouldn't be interference in it; it would be genuinely independent.

"So I need to let that review play out; we need to let it come to its conclusion. We expect it to report to us by the summer and then us to respond to that report in the autumn and that's the timescale we're working to."

According to , the HMRC has made 17 referrals to the police watchdog over the suicide attempts of 14 people, up from the 13 referrals of 10 people previously known about in October 2023.

The crippling tax demands were linked to 10 suicides after the piece of 2016 legislation made individuals responsible for taxes that their employers should have paid.

The loan charge was first announced in the former Chancellor of the Exchequer 's 2016 budget and made freelancers liable for years of retrospective income and national insurance tax after being paid their salaries in loans.

In opposition, Labour promised an independent review, and Murray stated that the loan charges had "become a nightmare for ordinary people ... who are the victims of mis-selling and face financial ruin".

The inquiry will examine the barriers facing those who have yet to settle and recommend ways for them to so do by the summer.

However, according to Sky News, campaigners have branded it a "sham" and "cover-up" as it doesn't examine the principle of the loan charge but only ways to make people settle.