The King’s Speech is traditionally the moment a government sets out its legislative priorities. This year, however, the silence on tax was striking, aside from a brief nod to a tourist tax in England.

At a time of sluggish growth, tight public finances and economic uncertainty, the absence of any serious tax agenda is hard to ignore. But rather than dwelling on what was missing, the silence presents an opportunity to reflect on a much deeper issue: how do we build trust in the UK tax system.