Another Western Road protest this Saturday 18th Dec

[sten_super]

You write as if Vodafone were merely "avoiding" tax, not evading it. They aren't. After years of being pursued for illegal tax evasion, they were hit by HMRC for a £6 billion tax bill and then, all of a sudden, along comes the coalition government and the head of HMRC decides to write off most of the debt.

It's OUTRAGEOUS.

HMRC broke its own rules writing off Vodafone tax | THINQ.co.uk

Except, as I expect you know, the apparent 'reason' for this let 'let off', as published in the initial Private Eye article, was that Dave Hartnett, HMRC permanent secretary since 2008, and John Connors, the head of tax at Vodafone, were pals due to their time spent working together at HMRC. So it has the square root of naff all to do with the coalition government.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Very odd isn't it. 6 Billion pounds for f*** sake. Thats 6 billion pounds worth of nurses, doctors, teachers, equipment for armed forces, police,pension rises, cold weather payments etc etc. Yeah kick the shit out of people protesting against that, idiots.
Tell you what, lets just carry on biting the pillow whilst we get f***ed up the arse again and again.

I hear what you are saying, however its all about priorities.

Personally I think we should go after these companies, BUT we must also look to other things...£25 billion is being spent to keep on Trident...why? Trident has been built to be launched from submarines to fire nuclear warheads at Russia...who are a threat? Over the next 10 years it is estimated it will cost £100 billion.... how many schools, nurses, hospitals will that build?

 

[Franks Wild Years]

I hear what you are saying, however its all about priorities.

Personally I think we should go after these companies, BUT we must also look to other things...£25 billion is being spent to keep on Trident...why? Trident has been built to be launched from submarines to fire nuclear warheads at Russia...who are a threat? Over the next 10 years it is estimated it will cost £100 billion.... how many schools, nurses, hospitals will that build?

Couldn't agree more, total waste of money.

 

[Chicken Run]

I hear what you are saying, however its all about priorities.

Personally I think we should go after these companies, BUT we must also look to other things...£25 billion is being spent to keep on Trident...why? Trident has been built to be launched from submarines to fire nuclear warheads at Russia...who are a threat? Over the next 10 years it is estimated it will cost £100 billion.... how many schools, nurses, hospitals will that build?

China & North Korea ?

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I hear what you are saying, however its all about priorities.

Personally I think we should go after these companies, BUT we must also look to other things...£25 billion is being spent to keep on Trident...why? Trident has been built to be launched from submarines to fire nuclear warheads at Russia...who are a threat? Over the next 10 years it is estimated it will cost £100 billion.... how many schools, nurses, hospitals will that build?

But how important is it in keeping us at the big boys table for another 50 years, so helping to maintain us a big economy? IMO very.

 

[Dave the OAP]

China & North Korea ?

are you serious?

Do seriously think that if any one of those countries set off series of rockets at the UK that they wouldnt be stopped by the miraid of weapon shields around the world?

Can I suggest when you get a minute, have a listen to the Yes Minister sketch justifying the "deterrant". It says more about wasting money than anything vodophone can think of

 

[Dave the OAP]

But how important is it in keeping us at the big boys table for another 50 years, so helping to maintain us a big economy? IMO very.

I think that is a tad dilusional. World power is changing dependant on economic rather than military might. So we sit a a table of people with nuclear weapons...so what. Doesn't mean a damn when Russia switches off teh gas supply or hikes the price 1000%

 

[Brovion]

But how important is it in keeping us at the big boys table for another 50 years, so helping to maintain us a big economy? IMO very.

I'm sorry, run that past me again? How does keeping nuclear weapons and maintaining a place at the 'big boys table' helps us to maintain a big economy? I've heard of some convoluted excuses for maintaining a nuclear arsenal but that one sounds insane.

Also we'll gloss over the fact that the only people who think we are still at the 'big boys table' are people like yourself. Thanks to Wikileaks we know that due to our defeat in Iraq and struggles in Afghanistan the Americans and the other big players of the 21st century have a very poor opinion of the British armed forces.

 

[Chicken Run]

are you serious?

Do seriously think that if any one of those countries set off series of rockets at the UK that they wouldnt be stopped by the miraid of weapon shields around the world?

Can I suggest when you get a minute, have a listen to the Yes Minister sketch justifying the "deterrant". It says more about wasting money than anything vodophone can think of

Yes I am Dave, so are you saying the UK has no requirement for a Nuclear detterant on the basis that somone else will help us out?

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yes I am Dave, so are you saying the UK has no requirement for a Nuclear detterant on the basis that somone else will help us out?

I am saying you cut your cloth.

 

[Dave the OAP]

 

[Chicken Run]

I am saying you cut your cloth.

Yes or no Dave?

 

[Dave the OAP]

 

[Dave the OAP]

Yes or no Dave?

personally, I see no point in spending money on nuclear weapons.

 

[Chicken Run]

Very nice, however can you see the same conversation playing out in Iran?? They are like that in the Iranian Government are they not?

 

[Dave the OAP]

this is just brilliant

 

[Chicken Run]

personally, I see no point in spending money on nuclear weapons.

Lets hope the the "shield" looks after us then Dave

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Yes I am Dave, so are you saying the UK has no requirement for a Nuclear detterant on the basis that somone else will help us out?

No - we just have no need for a nuclear deterrent.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Lets hope the the "shield" looks after us then Dave

looks after us from what exactly...the Chinese? the North koreans? the Iranians? the French?

If some nutter walks into Tottenham Court road witha nuclear divice and sets it ioff, how exactly is our "deterrant " going to stop a suicide bombre...that is the threat now...not conventional army some dressed in red and some in white

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Except, as I expect you know, the apparent 'reason' for this let 'let off', as published in the initial Private Eye article, was that Dave Hartnett, HMRC permanent secretary since 2008, and John Connors, the head of tax at Vodafone, were pals due to their time spent working together at HMRC. So it has the square root of naff all to do with the coalition government.

The LEAST the government should do is SACK Hartnett. Failure to do so is to endorse the apparent corruption that is the only explanation being put forward for how Vodafone have got away with not paying billions of pounds. Vodafone had even been budgeting to pay up eventually. Now the old pals act has let them off.

Or are you trying to argue that collecting taxes is nothing to do with the government?