A massive leak exposed in the Guardian yesterday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists identified thousands of the world’s super-rich who have hidden trillions of dollars in tax havens such as the British Virgin Islands. In the wake of the expose, I was asked to discuss the social cost of tax havens on Voice […]
Appearance on Voice of Russia: The social cost of tax havens Read More »
I was on RT News at noon on Wednesday giving my predictions for a predictably dire budget and giving Osborne both barrels. Watch here
Appearance on RT News: Bashing the budget Read More »
Around this time last month, George Osborne was in Moscow meeting his fellow G20 finance ministers to talk about tax avoidance. Describing tax avoidance as “morally repugnant”, Osborne has commendably acknowledged the extent of the problem as a drain to public finances. Unfortunately the key weapon in Osborne’s arsenal to tackle the problem – the
Osborne may need to rethink anti-tax avoidance measures Read More »
Once upon a time, the financial transaction tax (FTT) was the stuff of legend, supported only by radical economists and written off by the European Commission as unfeasible unless introduced on a global scale. But now, with 11 member states moving forward with the Commission’s ambitious plan to place a 0.1% tax on transactions in
Britain must support the financial transaction tax, it’s only fair Read More »
It used to be that tax avoidance saved businesses money. For decades, the world’s biggest multinational companies have been quietly shifting profits into tax havens to legally lower their tax bills and few but the most hardened activists batted an eyelid. The financial crisis has changed everything. With the public feeling the pinch of punishing
Tax avoidance is beginning to hit multinationals’ bottom lines Read More »
My editorial from the March issue of International Tax Review. It has been a busy month for tax reform with the European Commission announcing the details of how its financial transaction tax (FTT) will look under enhanced cooperation, as EU Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta writes in this issue. But by far the most important document
A new era dawns for tax reform Read More »
This article was originally written for Left Foot Forward In an open letter to the Shadow Chancellor, historian Anthony Seldon has called on Ed Balls to “fall on his sword” for the good of his party’s electability. According to Seldon, dropping Balls from front line politics would help Labour lose its tax and spend image.
Ed Balls should not fall on his sword, Britain needs him Read More »
This article was originally written for the New Statesman. George Osborne’s article in the Observer following the G20 meeting of Finance Ministers in Moscow at the weekend provides the first sign that Britain is finally ready to tackle tax avoidance and help reform an international tax system that is almost a century out of date.
Osborne must turn warm words into action on tax avoidance Read More »
I was on Ken Livingstone and David Mellor’s LBC 97.3 show this morning, speaking in support of Ed Miliband’s plan for a 10p tax rate funded by a mansion tax, and how I would go about cracking down on tax avoidance in the unlikely event George Osborne were to call me up. My favourite moment
This article was originally written for Left Foot Forward. I grew up in a household that had voted Labour since time immemorial, but aside from a second preference vote for Ken Livingstone in last year’s London mayoral elections, I have never voted Labour in my life. I came of political age at the height of
