Monday 8 June 2015

Labour "got it wrong on business". Really?

  What a shame Labour "got it wrong on business" and "didn`t celebrate the spirit of enterprise", as all the candidates for Labour`s leadership, bar Corbyn, claim. The least Miliband and his loyal band could have done was to praise those enterprising businessmen for their role in increasing inequality by generally refusing to pay a living wage to their employees, but ensuring obscenely huge renumeration for themselves. By paying wages so low, business chiefs ensured more of taxpayers` money was spent on in-work benefits and therefore less on hospitals and schools, but their "spirit of enterprise" means tax avoided now totals at least £40bn annually.
     Then there`s their clever trick of threatening to leave the country if they don`t get their own way, like bankers always do if their bonuses are threatened, or banks do, if they are to be regulated or taxed more. Almost as enterprising as their scams, fixing Libor and forex rates, mis-selling insurance to their customers, and laundering drug money. So many examples, so much to be celebrated! Like the financial institutions who get themselves represented on Treasury tax committees so that they can advise their customers on the best way to avoid paying their fair share, or the way they get their fees, by taking a percentage of the tax avoided. Really enterprising!
   What about those clever hotel owners who charge on average something like £130 for a room, but pay the room-attendants less than £3 a room? Or the CBI boss who threatens that, if rules on zero-hours contract are changed, wealth-creators will resort to hiring workers on a daily basis?
 So much to celebrate, Andy!

  I am sure there are decent employers in this country, who treat their workers fairly, but there are clearly far too many who don`t; until they all do, Labour should be far more careful about giving them its support! 

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