Ed Miliband doesn’t need advice from newspaper columnists at all
The Daily Telegraph columnist Dan Hodges argues that Ed Miliband should listen to what Guardian columnist Jackie Ashley advises, and then do the opposite.
I profoundly disagree with this advice. Even for the purposes of learning what not to do, Ed Miliband has far better ways to spend his time than listening to Jackie Ashley.
But I’m not sure that Dan Hodges’ strategic advice is any better than Jackie Ashley’s. Indeed, it suffers from many of the same flaws.
continue reading… »
Those who once derided @UKuncut should now eat their words
A year ago I braved the November and December colds to be part of a protest outside London’s flagship Vodafone store. I was also roughly bundled out of Topshop in Oxford Circus, chanted ‘Philip Green pay your tax’ at the BHS store on the same street, and was there when Boots shut down their store in the face of protests.
UKuncut were universally derided on the right and scoffed at by some within the Labour party for their tactics and targets. “Labour should not be the party of protest,” said movement-builder Dan Hodges, while displaying selective amnesia about the history of the Labour party.
But no one had ever tried to raise public awareness of corporate tax avoidance in this way before, and certainly no one had got the Daily Mail on side on it either. Only UKuncut managed that.
continue reading… »
Why we need to understand all sides of the welfare reform debate
Everybody in the country should read this piece by Sue Marsh and get angry. What’s happening to Sue and many, many other DLA claimants is a depressing and disgraceful example of how this government are attempting to reduce the deficit by breaking the backs of the very poorest in our society.
But that’s not the whole story. It would be remiss of me not to mention that ATOS, welfare reform and Lord Freud were all originally brought in by James Purnell and Liam Byrne as Labour ministers.
That’s the admission that cleanses my lefty soul; that goes some way to placating the increasingly loud and well organised disabled lobby. But that’s not the whole story either.
continue reading… »
UKuncut in major win against tax avoidance
After over a year of campaigning on tax avoidance by big corporations, the campaign group UKuncut today stand on the cusp of their biggest victory.
A report by the Public Accounts Committee today will state that HM Revenue and Customs failed to collect more than £25 billion in “unresolved tax bills” from major companies, after looking into lapses at the organisation.
The report made the front page of both the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail today (see below) – illustrating that even the right have finally started taking corporate tax avoidance seriously.
The report also points out that while ordinary taxpayers and small businesses were being harassed by the HMRC, big corporations wined and dined HMRC officials to get “unduly cosy” treatment.
After repeatedly focusing on tax avoidance by companies such as Vodafone and Top shop last year through direct action, UKuncut started focusing on the head of the HMRC – David Hartnett – himself.
Pressure on the HMRC was raised considerably after Conservative MP Jesse Norman and Labour’s Margaret Hodge accused Hartnett of lying in October this year over a deal with Goldman Sachs.
Soon after, UKuncut announced a plan to sue HMRC itself over a Goldman Sachs deal, hoping it would affect the HMRC’s other deals too.
The Public Accounts Committee then announced they would look into deals by the HMRC.
UKuncut Legal Action say there are the key points from the report today:
- HMRC is currently in negotiation over £25bn worth of tax disputes from 2,700 companies
- There is an unfair disparity between the way some large corporations and ordinary tax payers are treated by the tax office. Companies have millions wiped off their tax bills, or they are given a whopping 10 years to pay their liabilities. Small business owners or individuals do not receive this favorable treatment
- HMRC is unaccountable and secretive. Even parliament, let alone the general public, do not have any oversight. The PAC finds it farcical that HMRC keeps details about high value corporate tax deals that involve billions of pounds secret. They argue that there is less justification for keeping tax information about big companies confidential than for information about individuals
- That when called into Parliament to answer important questions about controversial tax details that have lost the public billions of pounds, Dave Hartnett – the chief tax man – gave “imprecise, inconsistent, and potentially misleading” information. Senior officials are seriously failing to be open and accountable
- That HMRC routinely ignores its own governance procedures and that we have a ludicrous situation where those negotiating tax deals can also ‘sign off’ on these deals, sometimes even without third party legal oversight. This means that some of these tax deals could not only be outrageous, but also unlawful
- There is a complete failure by tax officials to take any responsibility for HMRC’s failings
According to the Telegraph, MPs also suspect that HMRC struck a “sweetheart” deal with Vodafone, saving the mobile phone company billions of pounds in tax.
Hartnett enjoyed 107 dinners and lunches with companies, tax lawyers and advisers over two years. MPs said in their report that relations could seem “unduly cosy”.
How the City of London is waging war on our economic welfare
My friend Nick Mathiason works for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism where he has exposed a new type of tax avoidance activity centred on the City of London over the weekend.
He wrote this over the weekend in a story that also featured in the Observer:
continue reading… »
Staggering: look at the size of UK bank debt
The total level of UK debt is now nearly 950% of our GDP.
And most of it? Financial debt accumulated by the banks. The UK’s debt problem is still very much a bank debt problem, not a government debt problem
(via ZeroHedge)
Why the banking reforms proposed by Vickers today are ineffectual
contribution by Tony Greenham
The lesson of the financial crisis was that greater regulation of the banking system was necessary to ensure a stable economy.
Three years on from the banking bail out, we are no closer to meaningful reform of the financial system.
The final Vickers report, out today, welcomed by the government, opposition and the banking industry, makes plenty of political sense but very little economic sense.
Major poll finds Britons at odds on immigration
The fourth annual Transatlantic Trends: Immigration survey, out last week, showed that global economic turmoil and migration following the “Arab Spring,” had little impact on attitudes to immigration in the US and five European countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain).
New global poll identifies British attitudes towards immigration:
· Coalition Government’s handling of immigration considered poor
· Only a minority concerned about legal migration
· UK immigrant population overestimated
· Migrants fleeing armed conflict, natural disasters, persecution should be admitted
· Immigrants are entrepreneurial and plug labour market gaps
· Children of immigrants are well integrated
According to the survey, British people continue to view immigration as more of a problem than an opportunity (68%), with 57% of respondents stating that they think there are currently too many immigrants in the country.
This figure has, however, remained stable since 2008 in the UK as well as elsewhere in Europe.
Most also maintain a negative view of government management of immigration, with 68% of Europeans and 73% Americans believing that their government is doing a poor or very poor job.
Most American (56%) and Europeans (52%) remain optimistic about immigrant integration, and 66% of British people are positive about how well the children of immigrants are integrating.
Majorities in the UK, Europe and the U.S. are interested in letting in more highly educated immigrants. Amongst European respondents, the British are most likely to agree that immigrants help create jobs and set up new businesses (54%).
Despite 58% believing that immigrants take jobs from native workers, a large majority (69%) think immigrants help fill jobs when there are shortages. A majority (56%) supported highly educated migrants being allowed to come to the UK.
Following the Arab Spring, 40% of Britons surveyed support opening the British labour market to residents of newly democratic states in North Africa and the Middle East.
Strong support was also found amongst Britons polled for admitting migrants fleeing armed conflict (73%), natural disasters (70%) and persecution (65%). Surprisingly, half of British people would accept migrants fleeing poverty.
The survey is a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the Compagnia di San Paolo (Italy), and the Barrow Cadbury Trust (U.K.), with additional support from the Fundación BBVA (Spain).
I should have left Nazi stag party earlier that night, admits Aidan Burley MP
contribution by Spacey
After being photographed at a stag party with a man dressed in a Nazi uniform, Conservative MP Aidan Burley has Insisted he should have left earlier because dressing up like an SS officer only starts to become offensive after 9pm.
Mr Burley has apologised for the incident, but insisted that he had “simply lost track of time”.
“When I arrived at the party I noticed that some of the guests were dressed as SS officers and toasting the ideology of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime.”
“I could have left in complete disgust straight away, but I noticed it was only 7pm, so I figured I was good to go.”
continue reading… »
OccupyLSX to go to court tomorrow
Monday 19th December will be a big day for Occupy London as the group defend an action brought by the City of London Corporation to prohibit the use of tents at St Paul’s Churchyard.
Their off-shoot group ‘Bank of Ideas’ will also hear if their application to have an injunction against them (by Sun Street Properties) set aside is to be granted.
Laura Taylor, a supporter of Occupy London said: “The OccupyLSX camp at St Paul’s is only part of our movement, but it is where we began: its survival cannot be taken for granted. We appeal to all those who care about Occupy to come and support us in any way they can.”
From 9am Monday 19 December, supporters of Occupy London and the Bank of Ideas are invited to join together at Occupy London’s occupation at St Paul’s Churchyard, near the London Stock Exchange to prepare for the days events.
All are welcome to come and show support, bring placards, banners and gusto.
11am – General Assembly at the Royal Courts of Justice
From 11am, supporters of Occupy London and the Bank of Ideas will gather together at the Royal Courts of Justice (Strand, London WC2A 2LL). There will be a General Assembly taking place with occupiers and others speakers discussing the coming events of the day, the causes for which Occupy London and the Bank of Ideas are being brought to court, as well as future plans.
12 midday – City of London Corporation vs. Occupy London case
The earliest time for the beginning of Occupy London Stock Exchange’s hearing in the case that the City of London Corporation has brought against them is 12 midday at the Royal Courts of Justice. The hearing will be held in front of Mr Justice Lindblom in court 25.
12 midday – UBS vs. the Bank of Ideas
For the Bank of Ideas, its application for an appeal to have Sun Street Properties’ injunction set aside is due to begin at 12 midday at the Royal Courts of Justice. Lord Justice Lloyd will hear the application in court 72.
From a press release
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» The real agenda behind Telegraph’s abortion investigation
» How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists
» When disabled people want to work – employers can hold the back
» Revealed: the reality behind Workfare and why it doesn’t work
» Job snob? No, I’ve got the T-shirt
» Why country-by-country reporting matters to our wellbeing
» If Unions want to become stronger, they need to modernise
» Why work “reforms” in Spain are a warning for workers across Europe
» Five things you need to know about the NHS bill
» Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier. More Racist.
» Laziness levels in Britain getting lazier, wails government
|
62 Comments 15 Comments 23 Comments 8 Comments 24 Comments 16 Comments 16 Comments 83 Comments 203 Comments 85 Comments |
|
LATEST COMMENTS » Chaise Guevara posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » TimJ posted on How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists » Shatterface posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » Cylux posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » pagar posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » pjt posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » nothingspecial posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » Chaise Guevara posted on How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists » Patron Press - #P2 posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » karl meyer posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » BevR posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » bob woods posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » Alex Young posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » malcolm posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » BevR posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? |
