Asked why he had not backed their return when he was foreign secretary, Mr Cook said he had always held the same view but been unable to express them publicly when the government took a different line.
The special arrangements for MPs, Royals and celebrities were uncovered by Tory MP Andrew Robathan after he asked the government why HMRC had informed him by post that he could not file his return online.
What will happen next is that foreigners will not invest in that country or taxing jurisdiction: why should they when they can get a better return elsewhere?