In this week's Councillor Column, Richard Trail, SNP member for Helensburgh and Lomond South, looks at the implications of the recent 'Paradise Papers' revelations.

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Some 500 years ago, an obscure priest in Germany nailed a paper on the door of the church in the small town of Wittenberg.

It was Martin Luther’s challenge to the rich and powerful and it reverberated around Europe.

He was disgusted at the practice of the church selling indulgences to the poor uneducated peasants. The priests were abusing the trust that lay people placed in them.

The confidence tricks practised by the priests brought in huge sums to support their life of ease and luxury.

It may not have been robbery at the point of a sword, but it was gross deception to extract money from people who could ill afford it.

The parallels with today’s society are striking. Instead of cassocks, think sharp business suits; in place of the church, think giant international corporations.

The Paradise Papers have exposed how the new rich and powerful use their leverage to avoid paying their fair share to the society that purchases their goods or services.

They claim to play by the rules, but they choose which rules they play by.

They go to considerable lengths to find a tax haven where they can declare their corporate profits while earning these profits elsewhere.

The breach of trust is every bit as egregious as the priests of the 16th century. The loss of tax revenue means that ordinary people in this country are effectively subsidising the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by those who fail to pay a reasonable amount of tax on their earnings.

It reduces the money available for our public services. Our health service is creaking at the seams. GPs are under great strain in the face of an ever growing demand for their services.

The annual budget of the council has been cut year on year for the past six years. The gradual decline in funding means jobs are lost and the local economy suffers. The reduced number of staff are under more pressure to deliver services at the same standard as before.

The spiral of decline is damaging our society.

The idea that we are all in this together is a myth. Those who profit from their business activities in the UK and choose to pay their taxes in an island in the Caribbean are displaying a callous disregard for ordinary people.

It is time for a second Reformation to stop the shabby practices of the super rich.