Consumer power rules

Published: 6 January, 2011

• AS many readers will know, an investigation by Private Eye last year found that Vodafone had reached an agreement with the government’s tax collecting department, HMRC, to avoid paying a staggeringly large amount of taxation – £6billion. UKUncut has since kicked off a popular campaign to put pressure on this company, as well as others, to pay the full amount of taxation the investigation suggests is due. The apparent write-off by HMRC of a £6billion tax liability is a local matter and one we need to engage with. 

One of the reasons for this arrangement may be the overly close relationships between government and business. It also reflects the weakness of the government in the face of multi-nationals that can threaten to relocate. 

All of us as individuals, if we work together, have power as consumers. Through a popular campaign using our consumer power we may be able to hit the companies where it hurts the hardest, by reducing their revenue. 

Local authorities, including Camden, have accounts with these companies or invest in them. I’ll be seeking to push the council to use its power to tackle those companies that evade and avoid taxation, and to support smaller and medium-sized companies, particularly local ones, where they can.

CLLR MAYA DE SOUZA
Green Party