CAMPAIGNERS BRAVE SNOW TO SHUT VODAFONE SHOP IN ANGEL

Published: 24th December, 2010
by TERRY MESSENGER

PROTESTERS braved a blizzard to force the closure of a flagship Vodafone store for the second week running in a row over alleged tax evasion.

The demonstration in Liverpool Road, Angel, on Saturday was organised by UK Uncut and Islington Hands Off Our Public Services (IHOOPS) following reports that the global mobile phone giant owes about £6billion in uncollected tax.

The campaign is calling for the tax to be paid and the money used to protect public services.

IHOOPS member John Kolm-Murray said: “People are joining us on this issue who’ve never been involved in protests before. They’re seeing services cut, benefits slashed, pension contributions increased and they’re losing their jobs, and these companies are getting away with not paying taxes.”

The Liverpool Road Vodafone branch was shut down for an hour by about 100 protesters after the groups rallied supporters on the internet.

UK Uncut, a group formed earlier this month at the Nag’s Head pub in Upper Street, Angel, is at the vanguard of a new wave of “flash-mob” protests organised on web blogs, Facebook and Twitter. 

The Angel group has shut more than 20 Vodafone stores across the country. 

UK Uncut co-founder Will Davids said: “We were in the Nag’s Head talking about cuts and the next thing we know we’ve got a nationwide movement on our hands. It was unbelievable. 

“We’ve been more successful than we could ever have hoped.”

Vodafone maintains it has paid £1.25billion in tax and strenuously denies that it owes any more. A spokesman for the firm said: “The protesters’ allegations are incorrect. It is completely untrue to say that Vodafone has an unpaid £6billion tax bill. 

“HM Revenue and Customs itself has called that figure an ‘urban myth’. The company pays its taxes everywhere it operates.”