UNISONActive is an unofficial blog produced by UNISON activists for UNISON activists. Bringing news, briefings and events from a progressive left perspective.

Tuesday 15 December 2009

The flight of the bankers‏

The flight of the bankers – You can hear the slamming of Gucci luggage – the screech of tyres and the raw of private jets. The bankers are fleeing. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6954613.ece.

According to the report the number of directors of British businesses registered as living in the low-tax centers of Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man has risen by almost 500 to 6,729 in the past 12 months. The British Virgin Islands is also a popular destination, with 615 directors of UK companies now based in the Caribbean tax haven — an 18% rise on a year ago.

They are blaming higher taxes; national insurance rises and attacks on their pensions. Their audacity is unknown, they bought the economy to its knees and we bailed them out. Now they are asked to pay toward the costs and they run or rather fly away. Leaving us to pick up the bill, facing cuts in our pay and threats to our pensions, but with no where to run.

Maybe our government may now realise that building an economy on bits of paper and City boy speculation was wrong. Its time we rebuilt a manufacturing base, with green jobs and green engineering. Its time we invested in public services, it’s time we invested in good public sector jobs with decent pay.

Someone close the door after they have all left and don’t let them back in unless they have come to clean our hospitals!