This letter in the Jersey Evening Post is too funny not to reproduce:
From John Boothman.
I READ with interest the attack by ex-Senator Ted Vibert of the Jersey Democratic Alliance on Jersey’s zero-ten corporate tax regime (JEP,16 November), guided he tells us by Richard Murphy of the Tax Justice Network.
Local politicians who sup with Mr Murphy and his colleague John Christensen should use a long spoon. The TJN has dedicated itself to destroying Jersey as an international finance centre, and their assault on zero-ten is just one part of this greater campaign.
If they are successful in their larger objective, the Jersey economy will be laid waste and many thousands of Islanders, both those directly employed in the industry and those dependant on it, will face ruin.
Evidently the JDA’s brief flirtation with political moderation is now at an end — something for voters to bear in mind when next year’s elections take place?
I haven’t supped with Ted Vibert since 2005, I think — and then it was a pint of bitter at most, as I recall. And after this distance in time I can't now recall whose round it is next.
It’s interesting that Jersey lives in such fear of what I and the Tax Justice Network are doing: the endorsement for our effectiveness is gratefully received. But whistling and hoping we’ll go away is, let me assure Mr Boothman, a forlorn policy. The momentum for change is overwhelming, and suggesting two of us are behind it all is amusing but wrong. I really think he should equate himself with Plan B. The altenative is now required and those who will suffer are those who don’t prepare for the inevitable.
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The interests of Finance have been intimidating progressives in the islands for a long time. However, things are changing. The Fear Factor no longer works. Islanders are refusing to be intimidated into silence about the social injustice that has simply got worse. They realise the island has been caputured economically and poltically and the dependence on a single industry is jeopardising living standards. The Crisis has revealed that Finance is not infallible and that it is a civic duty to state openly the dangers we face.
If sections of the opposition can put aside its sectarianism, there can be an effective opposition alliance of unions and progressives to protect the interests of working islanders.
Tell Mr B we will no longer submit.
[…] to be in near revolt. Or that the people of |Jersey are beginning to show the same sentiment. As was said on this blog this morning about Jersey: The interests of Finance have been intimidating progressives in the islands for a […]
I very much doubt the Island fears either you or John though your constant attacks on the Island through this blog does appear to show more of a problem that goes personal.
But the TJN are not exactly a new group on the scene and even around the time of the G20 white listing we can say had no influence on the Treasury. Your recent treatment of Geoff Cook was hardly friendly anyhow.
@Jamie
What the heck has friendly got to do with it?
Promoting tax haven activity is not friendly – more a casus belli, I’d say
The rest is just your wishful thinking – and the fact that Boothman said it proves otherwise
Richard if it was not for the Island the UK would not get investment from so many Res Non Doms in the first place. Tax Avoidance being a crime is the TJN’s personal opinion but for many others its a facility for new opportunity.
I am most intrigued. The last we heard from Mr Boothman, he was saying that Jersey should try and get out of financial services and into creative industries (mind you, that was before TJN explained that this was wishful thinking).
Take a look – the story’s here. And note the helpful description of Mr Boothman as a “retired banker”
James in Jersey
@James
Another complete fantasy
No investor makes money in the IoM – there is no means to do so – as in most tax havens
There is a means to do so in the UK
So the many has to come here
you just facilitate it doing so abusively
So kind of you
[…] to be in near revolt. Or that the people of |Jersey are beginning to show the same sentiment. As was said on this blog this morning about Jersey: The interests of Finance have been intimidating progressives in the islands for a […]