Clara Furse, Chief Executuve of the London Stock Exchange, is under fire for a neat shimmy that will save her around £400,000 ($800,000) in tax.

The move transferred £5.1m ($10m) of shares in the LSE to her husband on the eve of the government’s changes to capital gains tax. It means she will pay only 10pc in CGT, instead of the new rate of 18pc which comes into force next Monday. This translates to a possible saving of £408,000 and an exposure to the new rate only on increases in the value of the shares.

Lib-Dem Treasury spokesman and political flavour of the month, Vince Cable, called it a “clever dodge”.

As the man said though, “No-one is under any obligation to help the authorities increase their take from one’s personal income”.