In a shocking display of ideological overreach, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the very institution tasked with upholding the financial backbone of the United Kingdom, has been caught peddling divisive and anti-British training courses to its staff. These courses, cloaked in the guise of progressive enlightenment, reportedly include sessions that promote feelings of “guilt” for being British and push narratives rooted in critical race theory and other controversial frameworks. This is not just a misstep—it’s a grotesque betrayal of the public’s trust and a dangerous precedent for a government body that should embody impartiality and national unity.
A Curriculum of Division
According to reports, including an exclusive by The Daily Mail, HMRC staff have been subjected to training that encourages them to grapple with the supposed “guilt of being British.” Such sessions allegedly delve into critical race theory, a framework that frames history and society through the lens of systemic oppression, often casting entire nations or ethnic groups as inherently culpable. For a taxpayer-funded institution like HMRC, whose role is to collect revenue and ensure compliance with tax law, to indulge in such ideological exercises is not only irrelevant but actively undermines its credibility.
Why is HMRC, an agency meant to focus on numbers, compliance, and economic efficiency, diverting resources to workshops that appear designed to shame employees for their national identity? The answer lies in a broader cultural malaise where public institutions are increasingly co-opted by activist agendas. These courses, far from fostering unity or improving workplace efficiency, sow division and resentment. They alienate employees who may feel targeted for their heritage while distracting from the core mission of tax collection—a mission that affects every citizen, regardless of their background.
The Public’s Money, Wasted
HMRC’s budget comes from the British taxpayer. Every pound spent on these training courses is a pound diverted from improving tax collection systems, combating fraud, or supporting public services like the NHS or schools. The irony is palpable: an agency responsible for fiscal responsibility is squandering resources on ideological indoctrination. Posts on X have highlighted public outrage at this misuse of funds, with sentiments echoing that HMRC should focus on its actual job rather than playing social engineer.
Consider the scale of HMRC’s operations. In 2022-23, the agency had only 397 specialists tackling profit shifting by multinational corporations, a critical issue costing the Treasury billions. Yet, instead of investing in more staff or better training to address complex financial crimes, HMRC is apparently prioritising sessions that lecture employees on “white privilege” or the supposed sins of British history. This is not just a misallocation of resources; it’s a deliberate choice to prioritise ideology over efficacy.
Undermining National Cohesion
The United Kingdom is a diverse nation, built on a shared sense of identity and purpose. For a government body to promote narratives that frame Britishness as something to be ashamed of is not only divisive but dangerous. It erodes the social contract that binds citizens to their institutions. When HMRC staff are taught to view their country through a lens of guilt, how can they be expected to serve its people with impartiality? The risk is that such training fosters a culture of self-loathing within the civil service, which could translate into biased decision-making or policies that unfairly target certain groups.
This is not an isolated incident. Similar concerns have been raised about other government departments, such as the Home Office, where critical race theory classes have reportedly been conducted. The pattern suggests a troubling trend: unelected bureaucrats are using their positions to push ideological agendas that have little to no public mandate. The British public did not vote for their tax agency to become a classroom for radical social theories—they expect it to collect taxes fairly and efficiently.
A Lack of Accountability
What makes this scandal even more egregious is the lack of transparency and accountability. HMRC has not publicly defended these courses or provided a clear rationale for their inclusion in staff training. The absence of open dialogue fuels suspicion that these programs are being implemented under the radar, shielded from public scrutiny. When whistleblowers and media outlets like The Daily Mail expose such practices, the response is often silence or deflection rather than an honest reckoning.
The government must hold HMRC to account. If these courses are deemed essential, then let them be debated openly in Parliament. Let the public see the curriculum, the costs, and the justification. If, as critics suspect, these sessions are little more than ideological posturing, then they should be scrapped immediately. The civil service is not a playground for activists—it exists to serve the public, not to lecture them on their supposed moral failings.
The Bigger Picture
HMRC’s flirtation with anti-British training is symptomatic of a broader cultural shift within public institutions. Across the Western world, government agencies are increasingly adopting frameworks that prioritise identity politics over merit, unity, and competence. In the UK, this trend is particularly jarring given the nation’s history of resilience and pragmatism. The British people have faced wars, economic hardship, and social change with a stoic commitment to fairness and common sense. They deserve a tax agency that reflects those values, not one that undermines them.
The public reaction on platforms like X underscores the growing frustration with this kind of institutional overreach. Users have called out the absurdity of spending taxpayer money on “woke” initiatives while core services struggle. The sentiment is clear: the British public wants their institutions to focus on delivering results, not preaching ideology.
A Call to Action
HMRC must immediately cease these anti-British training courses and conduct a full audit of its training programs. Every pound spent on ideological workshops should be redirected to hiring more tax specialists, improving digital infrastructure, or cracking down on tax evasion. The agency must also commit to transparency, publishing the content and cost of all training programs for public review.
The British people deserve better than a tax agency that uses their money to fund divisive, anti-national rhetoric. HMRC’s role is to serve the public, not to lecture its employees on the supposed evils of their country’s history. It’s time for HMRC to get back to basics: collect taxes, fight fraud, and leave the social engineering to others. Anything less is a betrayal of the trust placed in them by the British people.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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