Author Archives: markdowe1

Britain, Syria, United States

Decision time over Syria. Avoid making historic mistake…

As world leaders gather for the G8 conference in Northern Ireland, one issue seems certain to dominate all others: the Syrian civil war.

On Friday, President Obama triggered an escalation in this already terrifying crisis by announcing the US will shortly send weapons to moderate elements of the Syrian opposition.

William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, then rushed out a statement of support, saying ‘we have to be prepared to do more to save lives’ and put pressure on the Russian-backed Assad regime to negotiate.

Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, has been visiting Britain today, and, officially, Downing Street insists no decision has been taken for Britain to deliver arms to the rebels. Worryingly, though, there is every indication that, where the US leads, Britain will wish to follow.

Of course, it’s not difficult to sympathise with politicians wanting to find a solution to a humanitarian disaster which has already claimed more than 90,000 lives. Millions more have been displaced.

But, as Conservative MP John Baron has said: ‘Arming the rebels and escalating the violence could be a mistake of historic proportions.’

In Syria, the ineluctable truth is we simply do not know who the enemy are. There is absolutely no way of preventing the supply of weapons falling into the hands of the extremists who are bolstering the ranks of the opposition forces – including Al-Qaeda.

Nor, even more frighteningly, can Downing Street predict the extent to which ramping up the violence in Syria will further destabilise a wider region which – with tensions simmering in Lebanon, Turkey and Israel – already resembles a fraught tinderbox.

We should not forget how Tony Blair’s egomania (and the subsequent suspension of the democratic process) enabled the former British prime minister to plunge Britain into its worst foreign debacle since Suez.

David Cameron has promised Parliament a say before Britain is dragged any further into Syria. He must honour his word on this. Making a historic mistake with Syria would prove disastrous.

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Biotechnology, Health, Science

Research suggests GM diet ‘can lead to disease in pigs’…

GM crops could give pigs diseases, after scientists claimed those fed the so-called Frankenstein food had inflamed stomachs and heavier uteruses.

The research is significant because the digestive system and organs of pigs are similar to those of humans, who eat the pork from the animals.

A group of Britain’s biggest supermarkets recently ended a ban on the feeding of GM crops to pigs and other animals on farms in the UK.

Meat, milk and eggs from these animals are not labelled as having come from animals fed on GM crops.

The latest study will embarrass the Government, which supports GM crops and food, based on assurances that they have been proven safe for humans and the environment.

However, the research suggests this cannot be taken for granted.

The study was led by Dr Judy Carman, associate professor in health and the environment at Flinders University, Australia.

She said GM-fed female pigs had on average a 25 per cent heavier uterus than non-GM-fed females, which is a possible indicator of disease.

Also, severe inflammation in stomachs was markedly higher in pigs on a GM diet. Referring to the results as ‘striking’, Dr Carman added:

… We found these results in farm conditions, not in a laboratory, but with the benefit of strict scientific controls. We need to investigate if people are also getting digestive problems from eating GM crops.

The trial involved 168 newly-weaned pigs fed either GM soya and corn, or an equivalent non-GM diet.

But Professor Tom Sanders of Kings College, London, said that there were no differences in growth and mortality rates and pigs appeared in similar health. Cambridge Professor, David Spiegelhalter, has also said that the ‘conclusions don’t stand up to statistical scrutiny.’

The Biotechnology Industry Organisation said that this study was authored by ‘anti-biotech campaigners’. It added that hundreds of independent studies found no difference between animals fed GM or non-GM diets.

Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, claims opposition to GM food should be cast aside in the interests of the economy and our ability to feed the world. Mr Paterson has dismissed scepticism of GM as ‘complete nonsense’.

A statement issued by Mr Paterson’s department said:

… The world’s population is set to hit nine billion by 2050, and we must increase food production, minimise waste and boost competition. We must not ignore technologies, including GM, that can meet the challenge.  

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Britain, G8, Google, Government, Politics

Google’s tax ploys criticised by MPs…

GOOGLE has been accused of ‘relying on deeply unconvincing arguments’ to avoid paying millions of pounds in British taxes.

The online search engine was described as ‘brazen’ for denying ‘clear evidence’ that it made millions from selling advertising in the UK, a powerful body of MPs found.

Last year, Google paid just £7.3 million in corporation tax on sales of £3 billion. Tax analysts say the figure should have been at least £200 million higher.

The shortfall deprives Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) of money to fund public services, leaving ordinary taxpayers in Britain to make up the difference.

Matt Brittin, former Managing Director of Google in the UK and current Vice President of the company, last year told MPs all of its sales were made from its European HQ in Dublin, and its British subsidiary was merely a ‘service company’. This allows it to pay tax in Ireland, which has a corporation tax rate of just 12.5 per cent compared with Britain’s 23 per cent.

But Google was hauled back in front of MPs last month after fresh evidence emerged UK staff were involved in selling.

In its report published this week, the Public Accounts Committee found Google’s arrangements were ‘manifestly artificial’ and ‘have no purpose other than tax to enable it to avoid UK corporation tax’.

Margaret Hodge MP, who chairs the committee, said:

… Google brazenly argued before this committee that its tax arrangements in the UK are defensible and lawful… This argument is deeply unconvincing and has been undermined by information from whistleblowers, including ex-employees of Google, who told us that UK-based staff are engaged in selling.

She previously said that, contrary to its corporate motto, Google ‘does do evil’ by avoiding taxes in the UK.

Her comments come ahead of the G8 meeting next week hosted by Britain, where global leaders will come under pressure to crack down on tax havens and tax dodging by multinational corporations.

Google openly admits using Bermuda to lower its global tax bill, and last year funnelled more than £6 billion into the offshore haven.

There were ‘clear discrepancies with the claims made to us by Mr Brittin in November 2012’, the report said. It found 70 per cent of Google’s sales involve UK staff as well as Irish workers, and its UK workers are largely paid by commission and have monthly sales targets.

Evidence also emerged of Google invoices sent out bearing British addresses, and Mr Brittin admitted ‘a lot of the aspects of selling’ did take place in the UK.

Mrs Hodge also criticised HMRC, saying:

… It is extraordinary that the department did not challenge Google over the complete mismatch between the company’s supposed structure and the substance of its activities. We could not understand how a few journalists, whistleblowers and MPs have uncovered what the department could not.

Google has said that it complies with all the tax rules in the UK, and it is politicians who make those rules. It added:

… It’s clear from this report the Public Accounts Committee wants to see international companies paying more tax where their customers are located, but that’s not how the rules operate today. We welcome the call to make the current system simpler and more transparent.

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, said he would use the G8 summit to try to broker a deal on tax avoidance. Mr Cameron said that in a globalised world, no one country can on their own effectively stamp out either tax evasion or aggressive tax avoidance and this is exactly the sort of issue the leaders of the eight major economies should be addressing.

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson, who sits on the committee, said:

… The Government must look again at multilateral and bilateral tax protocols via the chairmanship of the G8, strengthen capacity at HMRC and look at simplified tax legislation as a matter of urgency.

Mr Jackson’s colleague, Steve Barclay MP, said there’s clear evidence Google is conducting sales operations and making astronomical profits in the UK – to suggest otherwise is plain fantasy.

A statement from the Treasury has said that the Government remains committed to creating the most competitive corporate tax system in the G20, but says this goes hand in hand with our call for strong international standards to make sure global companies, like everyone else, pay the taxes they owe.

HMRC says that, since 2010, it has collected over £23 billion in extra tax through challenging large businesses’ tax arrangements. It insists it will relentlessly pursue businesses that don’t play by the rules.

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