From the News & Star:
Anti-cuts campaigners brought a national protest to the streets of Cumbria when they demonstrated outside the Carlisle branch of mobile phone giant Vodafone.
Protests have been held outside branches of Vodafone in recent months following allegations that the company has avoided paying a £6bn tax bill.
Campaigners argue that if such bills were paid then there would be no need for huge cuts in public services.
On Saturday, members of the Carlisle Socialist party were among a group of protesters outside the Scotch Street store waving placards and collecting signatures from shoppers for a petition against spending cuts.
The group’s secretary Brent Kennedy said: “This is an example of what the government is doing.
“Not a single penny of the £81bn of unfortunate or unnecessary cuts would be necessary if the big businesses and the rich paid the tax they should. We’ve presented staff with letters explaining that the action here is not personal against them – it is the bigger picture.”
Branches of Vodafone elsewhere in the country have been forced to close while demonstrations were held. Carlisle’s remained open.
A spokesman for Vodafone said: “As a responsible, UK-based company we pay all the taxes we’re required to in this country. In fact, we pay over £700 million into the UK coffers every year in tax, VAT, PAYE, national insurance and the fees we pay for our mobile phone spectrum.
“Vodafone has no unpaid tax bill. HM Revenue & Customs has branded the £6bn figure being used by protesters an ‘urban myth’.
“Last year Vodafone and HM Revenue & Customs agreed to settle matters surrounding their legal dispute over ‘controlled foreign companies’ law for £1.25bn, the largest corporate tax settlement in UK history, which we are paying.”
For more info on Vodafone’s tax dodging, see here.
