More Miliband errors?

thorrthorr Posts: 2,153
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31231113

Further Miliband ineptitude, this time in the art of international diplomacy. Is no one providing him with advice on policy, or are his advisors deliberately setting him up for a fall?
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  • niceguy1966niceguy1966 Posts: 29,560
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    It sounds like an interesting policy. Something needs to be done to expose which companies are pulling their weight and paying tax, and which are moving their profits offshore.

    The first step is to remove the secrecy.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    It sounds like an interesting policy. Something needs to be done to expose which companies are pulling their weight and paying tax, and which are moving their profits offshore.

    The first step is to remove the secrecy.

    Why???
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    thorr wrote: »
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31231113

    Further Miliband ineptitude, this time in the art of international diplomacy. Is no one providing him with advice on policy, or are his advisors deliberately setting him up for a fall?

    Yes indeed.

    But Conservative Treasury minister David Gauke said Mr Miliband's plan would not work because other OECD countries such as the US, France and Germany did not have a public central register.
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    thorr wrote: »
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31231113

    Further Miliband ineptitude, this time in the art of international diplomacy. Is no one providing him with advice on policy, or are his advisors deliberately setting him up for a fall?

    Sounds pretty sensible. If he'd announced it earlier, someone else would have pinched it and declared it their own.
  • jcafcwjcafcw Posts: 11,282
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    For all of his supposed errors they are still ahead in the latest poll and are neck and neck in all the other ones.

    If he is this bumbling, incompetent fool and the Tories can't beat him what does that say about them?

    The policy is a good one and a just one. George Osborne has also made the same soundbytes over the last few years. I don't trust either of of them to enact them.

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/01/george-osborne-crackdown-tax-dodgers-voter-scepticism
  • David TeeDavid Tee Posts: 22,833
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    By Chris Mason, political correspondent, BBC News
    The premise of Labour's case is to plant an idea in our minds that there's a pot of silver going for the UK Treasury, if only the coalition tried harder. Labour cite research suggesting nearly £5bn a year is lost to the UK Exchequer from tax evasion in offshore financial centres.

    It's a lot of money - if it's an accurate estimate - and money they are keen on. But getting to it is unlikely to be easy or quick.

    First, the British Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories are independent: the UK can't force them to do anything regarding taxation or financial regulation. There is a huge difference between tax evasion, which is illegal and tax avoidance, which is not.

    "Blacklisting" is decided by international agreement, the UK can't demand it. We'll be starting an important international conversation and we'll drive through change, Labour says.

    A senior government source on one of the islands concerned told me they'd had private meetings with Labour. Senior party figures, the source said, had struck a much more emollient tone then - and dismissed this as the public shouting of an election campaign.

    It's election time - you really want to be taken in by this nonsense?
  • jcafcwjcafcw Posts: 11,282
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    David Tee wrote: »
    By Chris Mason, political correspondent, BBC News



    It's election time - you really want to be taken in by this nonsense?

    So George Osborne was also talking nonsense when he talked about cutting corporate tax avoidance?

    Good to know.
  • MesostimMesostim Posts: 52,864
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    Couldn't we just have started a couple more threads about bacon sandwiches?
  • David TeeDavid Tee Posts: 22,833
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    jcafcw wrote: »
    So George Osborne was also talking nonsense when he talked about cutting corporate tax avoidance?

    Good to know.

    Oh good grief.

    Just because Ed Miliband is clearly talking nonsense - or, if you'd prefer, trying to score cheap political points - on tax evasion in offshore tax financial centres, why does that automatically mean that George Osborne is talking nonsense about cutting corporate tax avoidance?
  • glasshalffullglasshalffull Posts: 22,291
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    David Tee wrote: »
    Oh good grief.

    Just because Ed Miliband is clearly talking nonsense - or, if you'd prefer, trying to score cheap political points - on tax evasion in offshore tax financial centres, why does that automatically mean that George Osborne is talking nonsense about cutting corporate tax avoidance?

    Nonsense is in the eye of the beholder me thinks.

    Rather as the ideal number of legs is probably somewhere between the extremes of two and four ;-)
  • smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    Nonsense is in the eye of the beholder me thinks.

    Rather as the ideal number of legs is probably somewhere between the extremes of two and four ;-)

    I think most Arthropods would disagree with you (and molluscs).
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    So Miliband's first foray into international affairs is to pick an argument with territories which should should be our closes friends. I suppose his next step will to tell North Korea he is putting them on the Naughty Step.
  • Boo Radley75Boo Radley75 Posts: 13,308
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    Whether it's just empty works to gain voters or not or whether he's gone about it the wrong way or not, I'm pretty sure cutting down on tax dodgers with overseas accounts is something the majority of us want. If one of the side effects of this is upsetting some tiny little country, its a price worth paying.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    thorr wrote: »
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31231113

    Further Miliband ineptitude, this time in the art of international diplomacy. Is no one providing him with advice on policy, or are his advisors deliberately setting him up for a fall?



    The OECD's "list of uncooperative tax havens" has been empty since 2009, though 38 jurisdictions are on a list of those "committed to improving transparency and establishing effective exchange of information in tax matters".

    The territories and dependencies written to by Mr Miliband are all on that list.


    Labour argues overseas territories and crown dependencies could help to stop or stem tax avoidance by showing tax authorities who is diverting money into companies there.


    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-31173496

    So all the names are already on a list. And Miliband's next move is precisely what?

    Write them another pointless letter?

    "He wants the OECD to blacklist countries if they don't do the same as us. But that would mean blacklisting every single country in the OECD apart from the UK - countries like the US, France and Germany. Once again, it's clear that Ed Miliband is simply not up to the job."
  • dosanjh1dosanjh1 Posts: 8,727
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    Why???

    To increase income received through tax.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    dosanjh1 wrote: »
    To increase income received through tax.

    By what means?
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,624
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    dosanjh1 wrote: »
    To increase income received through tax.

    Will it? The tax dodgers will just move elsewhere. There are plenty of small tax havens where a wannabe British PM has no influence. In the meantime you just damage the economies of countries which are British dependencies.
  • jcafcwjcafcw Posts: 11,282
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    David Tee wrote: »
    Oh good grief.

    Just because Ed Miliband is clearly talking nonsense - or, if you'd prefer, trying to score cheap political points - on tax evasion in offshore tax financial centres, why does that automatically mean that George Osborne is talking nonsense about cutting corporate tax avoidance?

    So when George Osborne talks cutting corporate tax avoidance that is good and when Ed Miliband does then it is bad.

    I understand your point of view completely now.
  • glasshalffullglasshalffull Posts: 22,291
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    LostFool wrote: »
    Will it? The tax dodgers will just move elsewhere. There are plenty of small tax havens where a wannabe British PM has no influence. In the meantime you just damage the economies of countries which are British dependencies.[/QUOTE]

    You are conflating two different entities

    1) Crown dependencies...Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

    2)British Overseas Territories...Gibraltar/Caymans/Bermuda etc
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    LostFool wrote: »
    So Miliband's first foray into international affairs is to pick an argument with territories which should should be our closes friends. I suppose his next step will to tell North Korea he is putting them on the Naughty Step.

    :D:D:D:D:D:D:D
  • Net NutNet Nut Posts: 10,286
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    His heart is in the right place a good man on the right track with this.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    Net Nut wrote: »
    His heart is in the right place a good man on the right track with this.

    A track going nowhere.
  • jcafcwjcafcw Posts: 11,282
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    Annsyre wrote: »
    A track going nowhere.

    Just like George Osborne's similar attempt/photo-op claiming that he would crack down on corporate tax evasion, eh?

    Both are foolish if they believe the corporate world will let them but both are right to want to do something about it.
  • AnnsyreAnnsyre Posts: 109,476
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    jcafcw wrote: »
    Just like George Osborne's similar attempt/photo-op claiming that he would crack down on corporate tax evasion, eh?

    Both are foolish if they believe the corporate world will let them but both are right to want to do something about it.

    Government can only do what is lawful. They cannot impose their will on other sovereign nations.
  • MattNMattN Posts: 2,534
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    Milliband seems to be attempting to alienate as many people/orginizations as possible
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