28 May 2019
Responding to the report from the Tax Justice Network (1) that the UK is the world’s biggest enabler of corporate tax-dodging, Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, said:
“This is an important report from the Tax Justice Network, highlighting how tax haven territories linked to Britain are responsible for around a third of tax-avoiding risk.
“These companies are taking money that should be going into the NHS, to schools and public transport, to policing and education, and stowing it away in tax havens, where it is of little use even to its owners.
“Yet their profits depend on the very infrastructure that they are bleeding of cash. They profit and the rest of us have to pay to keep our societies going.
“Small independent businesses, which pay their way, are going to the wall as they cannot compete with the taxdodgers.”
Jonathan highlighted the importance of the EU in tackling this issue across the world.
“Our now seven Green MEPs will be part of the fourth-largest group in the European parliament, pushing hard for action at that level, work that has already had a significant impact, despite the opposition of the British government.
“That is why our MEP Molly Scott-Cato just this month joined Greens across Europe in launching a '10-step Plan for Tax Justice' (2).
“We are already one of the laggards of Europe in faililng to act on tax-dodging. Our professional sectors – accountants, lawyers and bankers – are far too often complicit in robbing societies across the world of the money we need.
“This is one more reason to argue for continued membership of the European Union. To take on the global corporate giants we need to be working together with the peoples of Europe, to demand that they pay their way.”
For more information contact press@greenparty.org.uk, 0203 6919401
Notes
(1) The report https://www.taxjustice.net/2019/05/28/new-ranking-reveals-corporate-tax-havens-behind-breakdown-of-global-corporate-tax-system-toll-of-uks-tax-war-exposed/
(2) Green European plan https://eutoday.net/news/business-economy/2019/10-point-plan-for-european-tax-justice