As the Guardian has reported this afternoon:
With superglue and megaphones, pop-up protests forced several branches of Topshop and Vodafone around the country to close today on one of the busiest trading days of the year.
Security guards in Oxford Street bundled protesters and journalists, including Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee, out of the London store before the group of about 70 to 80 protestors, chanting "Philip Green pay your tax", left voluntarily and moved on the Arcadia's BhS store, which also had to be closed briefly to shoppers, as did a Vodafone shop. The demonstrations remained good-natured and peaceful with many of those out shopping fairly sympathetic.
The billionaire Green, recently made an adviser on cuts by David Cameron, is under fire because his wife, Arcadia's direct owner, lives in the tax haven of Monaco.
The latest tax avoidance protests took place in Birmingham, Glasgow, York, Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham, under the banner of UK Uncut — a fast-growing movement that is gathering support via social networking sites
One protester, Ed Greens, 20, from north-west London, said: "Topshop ... together with companies like Vodafone owe billions. We are taking direct action on companies like Topshop which avoid large amounts of tax."
Eileen Smith, 78, had come along to join the protesters. "I support anyone who is fighting against these terrible cuts. How dare this government say we are all in this together when 24 members of the cabinet are millionaires and men like Philip Green and his cronies are feted. The hypocrisy is sickening."
The group held similar protests against Vodafone in October after the telecoms group settled a large tax avoidance claim with the government but ended up paying a lot less than had been expected.
James Kelly, a spokesman for UK Uncut said: "Tax avoidance is a big issue and we believe this is the alternative to the cuts the government are making. Philip Green is a well-known tax avoider and today we're bringing our campaign right to the heart of his empire."
Richard Murphy, director of Tax Research UK, said he thought that UK Uncut's actions were justified. "I do think that what they're doing is appropriate, I do think there's a problem. Large businesses are paying a smaller proportion of their income in tax than many individuals and small businesses in the UK and that's unacceptable."
Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "People are rightly angry that the government is targeting the most vulnerable in our society with massive cuts in spending, and yet it appears to be very relaxed about rich and powerful tax dodgers."
I wasn’t at a demonstration: family commitments prevented it. Sorry, that’s the way it is sometimes.
But I’m delighted about three things. First that these demonstrations against cuts and against tax abuse happened. These are of course sides of the same coin. Second I’m pleased they could and did use my work. Third I’m delighted that legitimate protest that seeks to uphold the law and society has found a voice through the tax justice campaign — and in the process is making clear that the arguments of right wing neoliberals are unjust, unethical and abusive of society at large in the self interest of a few. If tax justice is the mechanism for giving that voice — fantastic! Long may it continue.
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I agree. Total tax abuse. Mr Green’s unearned incomes are getting away tax free. While his staff and the rest of us all pay huge tax on our work to protect those unearned incomes and “help” him out.
The question is, what is the best way to make him pay up?
Real Reform: Top Shop – Tax evasion or rent seeking?
Whilst demos are a vital part of response to abuses by Vodaphone, Green et al, the one thing they will most react to is falling profits.
We must all stop using the products and services of these companies. Let’s not forget Boots either. They have just made a very lucrative move to Switzerland.
Our politicians must also be pressured into action over the ability of the wealthy to move their money around the globe.
@Jim McSporran I agree with Jim on this, however we are enmeshed so much in capitalism in this country it feels nigh impossible to expect the majority of people to engage in any real action like not buying the latest sweatshop fashions……
PS Richard I really like your site.
@Jim
Whilst I would like to think that vultures like Green will experience falling profits, which is their main concern, I’m not going to hold my breath. Let’s face it, Green is never going to be a poor man. What we can do is make him and his ilk aware that we’ve sussed them out – and wipe the smug smile off their faces. I want to see them brought down from their high perches by the man-in-the-street (indeed even the red-tops will do). Of course, the lamp-post image is also attractive.
The point about the Green’s dividend was that he loaded the company with debt, paid the dividend and then refloated the company. Why anybody bought shares in a company that was taken into private ownership that was pretty debt-free but now had a whopping debt overhang is a complete mystery. Not only is it a tax “fiddle” it’s a burden the company doesn’t need….and no doubt my pension fund, etc., is a shareholder…..
I think this says it all Richard
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=hp_sauce&issue=1276
@Greenmail
Presumably he would have thought twice about loading it up with debt if the interest payments on that debt not been tax deductible. Even if he went through with it HMRC and the rest of us would have been a lot better off if those interest payments on debt (note for companies only) were not 100% tax deductible.
Wonderful- at last, real protests about tax dodgers. Have read responseby SIR Philip Green ‘I have done nothing wrong’-exactly what the thieving fraudsters/crooks we call M.P.s claimed. Green claioms ‘all taxes paid’ Yes, Corporation Tax and VAT -he cannot avoid those otherwise he would. HE, as direct owned of Top Shop decided his family should live in a tax (very pleasant one) while he send to her the thousand million pounds which he CAN avoid taxing.That money is MADE in U.K. and should be taxed in U.K.- AT SOURCE! No possibility of avoidance OR EVASION! You cold also look at the Vesty family -original owners of the ‘Dewhurst’s the Butcher’food chain -that family (the Lords Vesty) received mmore than one billion pounds free of tax (apart from about £300-yes, hundreds) as a result if the trust arrangement they had set up because they thought Britain was about to lose WW11 and setup a ‘Trust’ in Argentina (not only Nazi criminals escaped there!)which the Inland Revenue have failed to break on three occasions. The title-and the tax avoidance were part of the reward by David Lloyd George for a massive contribution to the Liberal Party. I believe the Lords Vesty have enjoyed the greatest return on ANY INVESTMENT in COMMERCIAL HISTORY.
If Green had paid basic tax at source (PAYE) as everyone else in the UK HIS (and Mrs Green’s) contribution would have paid off, in FULL,the entire deficit in the NHS for that year! I had to pay 10p. tax on a personal pension of £73. And Phoenix sent me a letter saying they were “..pleased to inform me..” they were doing so!!!