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Imagine if Facebook had “like” and “dislike” buttons for its tax contribution.

Millions of UK users could simply click on the link and give their approval, or otherwise, for how much the internet monster pumps into our public coffers.

The web giant is once again being scrutinised for the amount of cash it coughs up for our doctors, nurses, police, schools, teachers, armed forces, roads, rail, bin collections – and once again it is legally enough.

Legally.

(Image: Getty)

But surely Facebook - the firm that prides itself on democratising the globe, on the values of its staff, on offering previously marginalised citizens a glimpse of a better world - should be doing better than just paying the minimum it can get away with.

However, the sad fact is it can get away with whatever it likes – and it knows it.

Latest figures show its UK tax bill climbed to £15.8million last year on record revenues of £1.3billion.

But the net charge for 2017 comes to just £7.4million, following tax relief of £8.45million for granting employees shares in the firm.

Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who used to chair the Commons Public Accounts Committee, rightly said it was "absolutely outrageous that Facebook's UK tax bill is 0.62% of their revenue".

(Image: PA)

She added: "On an income of £1.2 billion, they really should be paying much more than £7.4million."

How much more of this should we take from Facebook, and its online pals at Amazon and Google?

Surely now the time has come for Chancellor Philip Hammond to slap a digital tax on the behemoths, forcing them to pay properly for the public services on which they and us rely.

At the same time it would give high street shops and businesses an advantage against their online rivals, boosting our town centres.

We await this month's Budget.

(Image: PA)

Theresa May's dangerous game of bluff with Brussels continues.

The Prime Minister refuses to join in the EU's optimism for a deal at next week's summit, with her spokesman referring simply to trying to seal a pact this Autumn – leaving the door open to a November reckoning.

Tick tock, tick tock – March's Brexit Day will be here before we know it.

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