Chinahand Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 The Guardian ran an article on Saturday complaining that our tax structure is encouraging tax evasion and is pandering to the super rich. Check out Guardian Article April 8 2006 Fair comment? or just typical guardian (class) envy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theskeat Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Maybe someone pissed them off last Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheScope Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 People predictably calling it "the Grauniad" time after time pisses me off, and I dont even read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripsaw Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 If you read the article without hearing the writer's snotty nosed, whiney voice, it comes across as a good advert for the Island. I notice in the paragraph that states "...companies will be allowed to operate completely tax free on the island, which is cutting the corporate rate from 10% to zero..." it choses to negate the fee that is levied instead of the tax bill. But then again who cares about balanced reporting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 It's a rather mischievous piece of journalism, trading in dubious double entendres ("How low will they go?") and deliberately confusing different issues and arguments. For instance, the comment that "the worst havens remain the focus of money laundering" does not really apply to the Isle of Man, which has now adopted a fully transparent reporting regime. More likely it was intended against Liechtenstein (a truly dodgy tax haven in the heart of the European Union) or some of the Caribbean offshore centres. As for the comment that "it is difficult to understand why the UK government continues to tolerate tax avoidance on such a scale", the answer is simple - the UK government has no choice in the matter, since the Crown Dependencies are autonomous on fiscal issues and tax avoidance is perfectly legal. Ultimately, the Guardian has (hardly surprisingly) thrown its weight behind the (thankfully impotent) campaign to end "tax competition". In simple terms, it's pseudo-socialism at its very worst: the belief that because Country A is badly run and has to levy punitive taxes in order to maintain its economy, then the citizens of Country B, which is well run, should not be able to enjoy a more advantageous regime, and that no-one should be free to relocate from Country A to Country B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 I thought it read more like a thinly veiled grumble about (implied) UK losses in taxation revenue to tax havens, in which case it's fair comment, regardless of the merit of its argument. The issue of money laundering, etc. looks like it was just thrown in there as a rhetorical device to add an emotive appeal to the argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Is it just me or does the Guardian always write about the Isle of Man in a negative tone? The journalist made a pretty poor attempt at it. He ended up promoting the Isle of Man. The paper only has one decent thing which comes out only once a year - the KWC GKP - A Manx product They certainly seem to, possibly because the Guardian is a glorified student rag that views everything through an awkward quasi-socially-conscientious lens more appropriate to the junior common room than the press office. From their perspective the Island will forever be associated with capitalist friendly low taxes, birching, and draconian laws on homosexuality, and so constitutes something of an easy bugbear. It's still better than Private Eye though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoneWolf Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 They certainly seem to, possibly because the Guardian is a glorified student rag that views everything through an awkward quasi-socially-conscientious lens more appropriate to the junior common room than the press office. Brilliant. Do I have your permission to use that wonderful phrase ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Please do, I'm thinking of printing it on t-shirts and organising a march on their offices. Buy two and get a "Monbiot knows dick-all" t-shirt for free! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 So, VinnieK or anyone else for that matter if someone did happen upon a rather nasty corruption within the Isle of Man establishment, which media would you feel would have best credibility to run such an exposé ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 The Telegraph. Do you need a number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 The Telegraph. Do you need a number? No... I think the one for Conservative Central Office is probably in the book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahc Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 The Telegraph. Do you need a number? No... I think the one for Conservative Central Office is probably in the book! Ask for Mr G Khan when you call. He's the moderate one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 So, VinnieK or anyone else for that matterif someone did happen upon a rather nasty corruption within the Isle of Man establishment, which media would you feel would have best credibility to run such an exposé ? The Economist and the FT would probably give the least partisan accounts of any scandals, plus they're a fair bit less nationally biased than the other papers, having more of an internationalist view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinloYessir Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Still, it's great that we don't have to pay more than a hundred k a year now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.