General
Friday, 06 April 2012 01:21
78 Comments
By a Newsnet reporter
The Scotsman newspaper has published a bizarre attack on First Minister Alex Salmond after Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) failed to obtain corporation tax from global firm Amazon.
In an article in today’s edition entitled “Alex Salmond and Amazon have ‘kicked Scots in teeth’ over £10m handout” the newspaper contains attacks on Mr Salmond over £10 million funding the Scottish Government awarded the firm last year in order to secure thousands of jobs for Scotland.
The article follows revelations that Westminster controlled HMRC failed to close a loophole that allowed multinational companies to avoid corporation tax by registering their headquarters for online orders outwith the UK.
Amazon, which is the UK’s most popular online retailer, has its HQ in Luxembourg. The tiny state has a population of less than one million but is a well-known financial hub and its citizens enjoy the highest standard of living in the European Union.
This week it emerged that the firm, which generated sales of up to £10 billion over the last three years, had paid little or no corporation tax to the UK.
Amazon has large distribution centres in Swindon and Gourock and recently opened a fulfilment centre in Dunfermline and a call centre in Edinburgh, with a potential 3000 new posts.
However despite the Scottish Government having no control over Corporation Tax and with a possible risk to jobs, Scottish Labour has called on funding to be withheld.
According to the Scotsman article, Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman, Ken Macintosh has called on Mr Salmond to look at withholding any future financial backing from Amazon.
The newspaper also quotes Lib Dem supporter Hugh Andrew, managing director of the publisher Birlinn Ltd, as saying:
“Scottish businesses have been given a kick in the teeth by a government that claims to represents Scotland. The Scottish Government seems to want to give more than £10m to Amazon, that doesn’t even pay taxes here, rather than support indigenous Scottish firms.
“It’s using public money to grab headlines, but with no strategic thinking about what economic benefit there will be.”
According to SKY News, HMRC has said it has no plans to change the way multinational companies are taxed.
A spokesman for Amazon said: “Amazon EU serves tens of millions of customers and sellers throughout Europe from multiple consumer websites in a number of languages, dispatching products to all 27 countries in the EU.
“We have a single European headquarters in Luxembourg with hundreds of employees to manage this complex operation.”
The Scottish Government has no control over corporation tax but is currently fighting to have the power devolved to Scotland.
A spokesman for the SNP Government said: “This is a matter between HMRC and the company.”
Amazon officially opened its new one million square foot centre in Dunfermline in November last year. The new fulfilment centre, the largest in the UK at approximately the size of 14 football pitches, created an estimated 2250 new jobs.
900 new jobs were created at Amazon’s new customer service centre in Edinburgh which handles both internet and telephone customer queries for Amazon.co.uk, including technical support for Amazon Kindle and MP3.
Both developments were in addition to 200 new posts at Amazon’s Gourock fulfilment centre.
Comments
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2012-04-06 02:37
And everyone should have been following the TV of the Public Accounts Committee where the head of HMRC and the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Treasury (to whom Harnett reports) have been comprehensively blasted for their dealings with Vodaphone and Goldman Sachs.
But I havent seen any reports in the MSM blaming HM Govt for this incompetence due to the Lunches no doubt which Senior Civil Servants attended – in abundance to gluttonous terms.
But I havent seen any reports in the MSM blaming HM Govt for this incompetence due to the Lunches no doubt which Senior Civil Servants attended – in abundance to gluttonous terms.
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2012-04-06 06:42
Gerry – surely you’re not implying that there is an element of “succulent lamb” about the lunches for senior Westminster civil servants?
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2012-04-06 08:54
“Succulent lamb” is in abundance in government financial dealings…Sir John Bourn, Comptroller and Auditor General, was a renouned diner on behalf of the people.
“…Bourn’s high spending, such as a recent overseas trip that ran up taxpayer costs of more than £16,000. His expenses and conducts have frequently been highlighted in the satirical magazine Private Eye. In September 2008 the magazine published a special report, ‘The Bourn Complicity’, alleging that under his leadership numerous government expenditure failings escaped scrutiny while Bourn (frequently accompanied by his wife) went on unnecessary and extravagant foreign trips, and accepted lavish hospitality from contractors.” [Wikipedia]
“…Bourn’s high spending, such as a recent overseas trip that ran up taxpayer costs of more than £16,000. His expenses and conducts have frequently been highlighted in the satirical magazine Private Eye. In September 2008 the magazine published a special report, ‘The Bourn Complicity’, alleging that under his leadership numerous government expenditure failings escaped scrutiny while Bourn (frequently accompanied by his wife) went on unnecessary and extravagant foreign trips, and accepted lavish hospitality from contractors.” [Wikipedia]
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2012-04-06 07:18
The Scotsman should just change its name to The Britnat, it must think people are absolute mugs if it thinks they believe the bile it spouts everyday in its onslaught againgst Alex Salmond and co, I wouldnt wrap my chips in that comic, no wonder its sales are going down.
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2012-04-06 07:37
Exactly. In fact it is really sad to see what has become of a once great newspaper. I cannot fathom why they carry on with their current editorial policy.
It would seem Scots have moved in one direction, whilst the Scotsman has decided to move in the exact opposite direction.
I personally cannot fathom the mindset at the Scotsman right now. A one way path to oblivion and obsolescence.
It would seem Scots have moved in one direction, whilst the Scotsman has decided to move in the exact opposite direction.
I personally cannot fathom the mindset at the Scotsman right now. A one way path to oblivion and obsolescence.
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2012-04-06 13:46
I question if it ever was a great newspaper!
I gave up reading it in 1992! It was bad then and going by what others have said it has only got worse.
I gave up reading it in 1992! It was bad then and going by what others have said it has only got worse.
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2012-04-06 07:26
Honestly, in any sane world, how can anybody ever blame the Scottish Government for this??? The Scottish Government has NO control over corporation tax. It is frankly becoming bizarre the lies that are being promulgated in the run up to the Scottish council elections.
It strikes me, that with a very low share price of 6p, compared to 3.50 in 2007 for Johnstone press, the laughingly titled ‘Scotsman’ newspaper, grows more desperate every day.
The rush to the gutter, in order to gain sensationalism is a one way route to newspaper oblivion. The proverbial race to the bottom.
Bye, bye Scotsman.
Source;
johnstonpress.co.uk/…/…
It strikes me, that with a very low share price of 6p, compared to 3.50 in 2007 for Johnstone press, the laughingly titled ‘Scotsman’ newspaper, grows more desperate every day.
The rush to the gutter, in order to gain sensationalism is a one way route to newspaper oblivion. The proverbial race to the bottom.
Bye, bye Scotsman.
Source;
johnstonpress.co.uk/…/…
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2012-04-06 08:22
I don’t imagine it is a coincidence that sales really started to plunge beginning in 2007…
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2012-04-06 07:57
Surely just an example of the MSM hand in glove with the unionist anti independence cabal that have ruled Scotland with lies and scaremongering for centuries. What is the betting it features heavily on the next Newsnicht also? The cabal see it as their duty to the union to invent this stuff. This is them fighting with every fibre of their being to save the union for London.Lies propaganda and scaremongering, backed by divide and rule, the stuff of Empires. The unblinking hypocrisy of Macintosh and his party is now taken for granted, their lack of credibility on anything is in shreds.
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2012-04-06 08:04
Have a look at the Journalisted site.
Andrew Whitaker, the author of this piece in the Scotsman is included. It’s not full proof, but by looking at the bylines of Journalists it builds a profile of their output.
journalisted.com/…/
Note that he writes most about the SNP.
Andrew Whitaker, the author of this piece in the Scotsman is included. It’s not full proof, but by looking at the bylines of Journalists it builds a profile of their output.
journalisted.com/…/
Note that he writes most about the SNP.
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2012-04-06 09:26
OT, fags hidden behind the counter in England, but still under legal challenge here, will be interesting to see if there is an equivalent challenge in England.
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2012-04-06 09:33
How can a newspaper that has a political editor and political journalists get a political factual story so wrong?.
Will their sports writers claim that if Hibs get relegated it will be the fault of the Hearts manager.
I’ve seen a higher standard of journalism from my kids school newspaper.
Will their sports writers claim that if Hibs get relegated it will be the fault of the Hearts manager.
I’ve seen a higher standard of journalism from my kids school newspaper.
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2012-04-06 09:39
Clearly this unionist rag would prefer Scots people not to have the jobs Amazon is providing in Scotland, then they could accuse the SNP of doing nothing about the unemployment situation. These people are not concerned about Scotland or its people in any way. When you resort to telling lies as the Scotsman does on many, many occasions you have to wonder what kind of people are they. It seems that I come from a time when telling lies was shameful.
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2012-04-06 10:02
Standards dear thomsor, standards! You’re right, most of us would have been red in the face with embarrassment writing that but it appears that “no standards rules OK” at the Scotsman. Wonder what Conan will make of it? He’s had a few crackers recently.
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2012-04-06 09:40
Is this the product of Unionist think tanks? Very OT, but the following also seems to be a product, and at least to a layman, a rather more subtle one (see Herald):
Megrahi prosecutor to become Scottish judge
Megrahi prosecutor to become Scottish judge
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2012-04-06 10:39
This story about Amazon and corporation tax is a story which was reported way back in Spetember 2011 in the Daily Telegraph:
telegraph.co.uk/…/…
As you can see from the story Amazon is not the only company avoiding corporation tax and the UK is not the only place where they are avoiding paying.
Then you have companies like the Pru which in a 5 year period, 2005-10 paid £1.9 Billion in corporation tax but received £1.22 Billion back in tax credits.
telegraph.co.uk/…/…
Rather than attacking the FM the newspaper should be aiming at the real culprits in all of this – HMRC.
The attack on the FM is bizarre since neither he not the Scottish Government have any control over corporation tax.
telegraph.co.uk/…/…
As you can see from the story Amazon is not the only company avoiding corporation tax and the UK is not the only place where they are avoiding paying.
Then you have companies like the Pru which in a 5 year period, 2005-10 paid £1.9 Billion in corporation tax but received £1.22 Billion back in tax credits.
telegraph.co.uk/…/…
Rather than attacking the FM the newspaper should be aiming at the real culprits in all of this – HMRC.
The attack on the FM is bizarre since neither he not the Scottish Government have any control over corporation tax.
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2012-04-06 10:45
I think there are (at least) two types of unionist, those who are the milkers and those who are milked(crude I grant you). Those who do the milking are easy to spot, the bankers the sugars, those in ermine and those who want the ermine. It is the other type those who are being milked they see it as a duty, doing their bit, they know how to spell freedom but don’t know what it means.It is important that the SNP explains this and unties the ties that binds them from the dead log of Westminster. It has taken a long time to convince the people that they are unworthy and lucky to have the crumbs from the high table but here we are. Freedom I believe will take two generations to be realized and though I won’t be around to see this wonderful historic time I hope my vote will be one brick for the New Scotland.
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2012-04-06 16:23
Quoting Holebender:
Would be nice but two generations? don’t think so.
Are you expecting to be dead before Autumn 2014?
Would be nice but two generations? don’t think so.
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2012-04-06 11:04
Maybe we should look at Ian Russell’s ( Chairman of the Scotsman and Remploy) disgraceful treatment of disabled workers employed by Remploy – see link below. Quote – Phil Davies, national secretary of the GMB union, said the government’s announcement was “an attack on the most vulnerable members of our society”. He added: “I never thought that I would live to see the day that an organisation set up to provide sustainable employment for disabled people being shut down.” So well done Ian Russell hang your head in shame or is this nothing to do with you it is all the Governments fault hence no mention of you in the article. Now if Alex Salmond had a role to play in Remploy the Headline would have been so much different eh.
bbc.co.uk/…/…
bbc.co.uk/…/…
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2012-04-06 11:17
Tom Morton en.wikipedia.org/…/… said in the Sunday Herald as early as the 31-March-2002:
“The Scotsman is a paper run on the whim of someone who has no insight into or concern for Scotland, its culture or politics. It has become a vanity publication and I want nothing to do with it.”
“The Scotsman is a paper run on the whim of someone who has no insight into or concern for Scotland, its culture or politics. It has become a vanity publication and I want nothing to do with it.”
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2012-04-06 11:49
Alex Thomson, Channel 4 News, has been running a series of blogs on the Rangers sage. His most recent blog has some pertinent things to say about the state of sports journalists in Scotland in the MSM. Although it is said about sports journalists and their lazy reporting it would not be much of a stretch to extend it to the general state of journalism in the MSM in Scotland. This story in the Scotsman is a case in point.
blogs.channel4.com/…/1088
You could easily extend it to the Herald with its penchant for ‘Exclusives’ which are just rehashes of Labour Party Press releases released via Associated Press.
blogs.channel4.com/…/1088
You could easily extend it to the Herald with its penchant for ‘Exclusives’ which are just rehashes of Labour Party Press releases released via Associated Press.
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2012-04-06 11:26
So just to be clear…
HMRC does not charge Amazon Corporation Tax at 24% on their £7,000,000,000 Profit.
LOSS TO COUNTRY = £1,680,000,000
Scottish Government provide £10,000,000 to Amazon to bring around 3,300 jobs to Scotland.
COST OF SUPPORT = £10,000,000
Based on an average salary of just £20,000 for all 3,300 new jobs, under 65 and paying for a student loan, the direct taxes (Income Tax and NI) come to £3,837.64 per year per person.
INCREAE IN DIRECT TAXES = £12,664,212
NET BENEFIT TO ECONOMY = £2,664,212
This looks like it has all the hallmarks of another Labour boomerang!
Scottish Government action in all probability actually INCREASED tax take in year 1 by nearly £2.7 million and in subsequent years by nearly £12.7 million.
And that is not even looking at INDIRECT TAXES!
HMRC does not charge Amazon Corporation Tax at 24% on their £7,000,000,000 Profit.
LOSS TO COUNTRY = £1,680,000,000
Scottish Government provide £10,000,000 to Amazon to bring around 3,300 jobs to Scotland.
COST OF SUPPORT = £10,000,000
Based on an average salary of just £20,000 for all 3,300 new jobs, under 65 and paying for a student loan, the direct taxes (Income Tax and NI) come to £3,837.64 per year per person.
INCREAE IN DIRECT TAXES = £12,664,212
NET BENEFIT TO ECONOMY = £2,664,212
This looks like it has all the hallmarks of another Labour boomerang!
Scottish Government action in all probability actually INCREASED tax take in year 1 by nearly £2.7 million and in subsequent years by nearly £12.7 million.
And that is not even looking at INDIRECT TAXES!
#
2012-04-06 11:58
You should also consider indirect employment through the purchase of local goods and services by Amazon to sustain their operation which will generate more taxes through VAT, income and corporation taxes
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2012-04-06 14:31
I love this. Simple maths, shows the cost/benefit. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve stoeln that to put as a comment on a post on FB 🙂
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2012-04-06 16:00
Feel free.
Sites like this are great for sharing ideas and information.
We all borrow and build upon each others phrases and ideas to better build up a response to the negativity shown to Scotland by Westminster.
Fill your boots…
Sites like this are great for sharing ideas and information.
We all borrow and build upon each others phrases and ideas to better build up a response to the negativity shown to Scotland by Westminster.
Fill your boots…
#
2012-04-06 15:31
ANd some more simple maths. Even if these 3000 jobs were minimum wage, the total yearly input into the Scottish economy would be £36,000,000. Good work by the Scottish Government
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2012-04-06 12:25
We in this country have always rightly been critical of authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the world, who restrict the freedom of their press and media, and exercise strict control over these organs of public information.
I as an individual still disapprove of, and would oppose, any such government control over the press and media in an independent Scotland. However,when I am continually subjected to the blatantly pro-union, anti-SNP bias on an almost daily basis by the Scottish papers and BBC Scotland (both radio and TV) I can understand why authoritarian regimes do go down the road of suppressing opposition opinion, especially if it displays such bile and biased reporting.
What I DO wish is that our SNP Government would start to challenge the more outrageous accusations levelled against them, whether from journalists or news outlets, or those MPs and MSPs, such as Sarwar, Baillie, etc., and demand they either substantiate their accusations with verifiable facts, or publicly apologise for their deliberate misleading, inaccurate statements.
I as an individual still disapprove of, and would oppose, any such government control over the press and media in an independent Scotland. However,when I am continually subjected to the blatantly pro-union, anti-SNP bias on an almost daily basis by the Scottish papers and BBC Scotland (both radio and TV) I can understand why authoritarian regimes do go down the road of suppressing opposition opinion, especially if it displays such bile and biased reporting.
What I DO wish is that our SNP Government would start to challenge the more outrageous accusations levelled against them, whether from journalists or news outlets, or those MPs and MSPs, such as Sarwar, Baillie, etc., and demand they either substantiate their accusations with verifiable facts, or publicly apologise for their deliberate misleading, inaccurate statements.
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2012-04-06 13:04
How about the Sun, at least while Murdoch is still pretending to support the SNP.
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2012-04-06 14:31
Quoting Exile:
At a Press Conference, immediately prior to FMQs.
(that would be a fun addition to our Thursdays.)
What media outlet do you suggest they use to make this challenge, proudscot?
At a Press Conference, immediately prior to FMQs.
(that would be a fun addition to our Thursdays.)
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2012-04-06 16:04
But then there wouldn’t be any time left for Brian Taylor to sum up how successful Johan Lamont has been.
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2012-04-06 13:45
Perhaps they do challange the outrageous accusations against them but we just dont get to hear about them in our MSM proudscot.
I have now given up watching any of our MSM, withdrew my TV Tax years ago and now I am down to reading zero daily Newspapers. I dont even look at them online any more.
Even clicking on them online runs up thier hits counters which they will use to run to potential advertisers. No these anti Scottish institutions must be run out of Scotland.
I read one online paper now and that is the Sunday Herald and that alone. It is is the only one I would regard as being remotely fair!
I cant bring myself to read any of the Murdoch rags. As for the rest I will not suport them in any way by buying the filthy rags or by adding to thier hits counters on line.
I have now given up watching any of our MSM, withdrew my TV Tax years ago and now I am down to reading zero daily Newspapers. I dont even look at them online any more.
Even clicking on them online runs up thier hits counters which they will use to run to potential advertisers. No these anti Scottish institutions must be run out of Scotland.
I read one online paper now and that is the Sunday Herald and that alone. It is is the only one I would regard as being remotely fair!
I cant bring myself to read any of the Murdoch rags. As for the rest I will not suport them in any way by buying the filthy rags or by adding to thier hits counters on line.
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2012-04-06 13:28
So the Scotsman and idiots in the Labour and Liberal parties are saying is that they would like to see those 3,000 people made redundant?
What the hell has Salmond got to do with HRMC and corporation tax? If we were independent then they might have a point but all their moronic story does is highlight we are not independent. This is a Coalition act of incompetence and presumably Labour before them.
Back in the 70s and 80s I used to buy that paper. It was a good newspaper and had a lot of thoughtful and intelligent journalists. What a sad shadow of its former self it has become.
What the hell has Salmond got to do with HRMC and corporation tax? If we were independent then they might have a point but all their moronic story does is highlight we are not independent. This is a Coalition act of incompetence and presumably Labour before them.
Back in the 70s and 80s I used to buy that paper. It was a good newspaper and had a lot of thoughtful and intelligent journalists. What a sad shadow of its former self it has become.
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2012-04-06 13:35
How is this “a Coalition act of incompetence and presumably Labour before them”. UK govt deliberately allows/encourages/facilitates tax havens through UK tax law to directly benefit their corporate cronies and themselves.
They’ve been bleating on about tax havens for as long as I can remember, but have done the square root of diddly-squat about them.
They’ve been bleating on about tax havens for as long as I can remember, but have done the square root of diddly-squat about them.
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2012-04-06 13:46
This has been going on for at least three years with Amazon so it initially came under Labour stewardship of the Treasury. Now it may be that it is a deliberate turning of a blind eye by Westminster. But whether deliberate or simply shoddy it is a Westminster action and nothing to do with Holyrood. The London based papers are hugely unhappy with this state of affairs and Scotland does not figure in their comments at all…not a word.
The comments below the story are just bizarre and seem to be of the view that the jobs are irrelevant. Without the jobs there would have been no Holyrood involvement.
The comments below the story are just bizarre and seem to be of the view that the jobs are irrelevant. Without the jobs there would have been no Holyrood involvement.
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2012-04-06 14:49
I can remember going around to the newsagents to get the paper during school holidays in the late ’70s. I remember it cost about 8 pence back then.
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2012-04-06 19:14
What would Albert Morris have to say about the state of The Scotsman?
Now there was a professional journalist unlike the recyclers and enhancers of Unionist Press Releases who masquerade as journalists today.
Now there was a professional journalist unlike the recyclers and enhancers of Unionist Press Releases who masquerade as journalists today.
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2012-04-06 13:34
This is actually an attck on Amazon and by extension everyone that works for them in Dunfermline. By extension again it is not even just anti SNP but an anti Scottish tirade.
The anti Scottish Hootsman will take a swipe at anyone who dares to set up shop in Scotland it seems. This is not new behaviour as they have past form in this. Unless of course the individuals or organisations concerned make anti SNP statements or anti Scottish Independence statements before they make any investement in Scotland.
The anti Scottish Hootsman will take a swipe at anyone who dares to set up shop in Scotland it seems. This is not new behaviour as they have past form in this. Unless of course the individuals or organisations concerned make anti SNP statements or anti Scottish Independence statements before they make any investement in Scotland.
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2012-04-06 14:04
Greetings from Raleigh, North Carolina.
I have worked in public accounting doing taxes for most of my working life, about 25 years all told, in the UK and the USA. If HMRC would apply the law as written, it could collect the tax. Amazon would have to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance, but it could be done. The argument about the Luxembourg company is just a smokescreen. A company can also be taxed in a particular jurisdiction based on “control and management.” UK tax law allows for that. So any argument that the Luxembourg company precludes this is incomplete at best.
Of course, there is also the argument that, even with “control and management” in the UK, the profits are negligible. That is where the transfer-pricing rules come in. Breaking those can easily lead a company executive to jail.
Now, HMRC may well have done its sums and concluded that the economic benefits of Amazon being in the UK are worth more than the tax they would collect (slowly and painfully). That is a fair point – see Sleekit’s sums above. It wouldn’t be the first time they had taken that view (and it highlights a problem that Scotland with enhanced tax-raising powers would have to address). However, HMRC’s inaction is not the Scottish government’s concern.
I have worked in public accounting doing taxes for most of my working life, about 25 years all told, in the UK and the USA. If HMRC would apply the law as written, it could collect the tax. Amazon would have to be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance, but it could be done. The argument about the Luxembourg company is just a smokescreen. A company can also be taxed in a particular jurisdiction based on “control and management.” UK tax law allows for that. So any argument that the Luxembourg company precludes this is incomplete at best.
Of course, there is also the argument that, even with “control and management” in the UK, the profits are negligible. That is where the transfer-pricing rules come in. Breaking those can easily lead a company executive to jail.
Now, HMRC may well have done its sums and concluded that the economic benefits of Amazon being in the UK are worth more than the tax they would collect (slowly and painfully). That is a fair point – see Sleekit’s sums above. It wouldn’t be the first time they had taken that view (and it highlights a problem that Scotland with enhanced tax-raising powers would have to address). However, HMRC’s inaction is not the Scottish government’s concern.
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2012-04-06 16:04
Agreed.
Is there any chance of expanding on “control and management” into an article for submission to Newsnet?
Is there any chance of expanding on “control and management” into an article for submission to Newsnet?
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2012-04-06 17:30
Well, we are at the peak of tax season over here – ten working days until the deadline – so any article would have to wait until after then. By that time, this Amazon story will be old news (hopefully).
However, a few short articles discussing the mechanics of taxation, as it relates to decisions an independent or autonomous Scotland would have to make, is something I have thought about for a while. Of course, my first priority after my post-tax season lie in is a (non-anonymous) contribution to the referendum consultation. Having voted on both sides of the Atlantic, I thought I would offer my views on the turnout-related question.
However, a few short articles discussing the mechanics of taxation, as it relates to decisions an independent or autonomous Scotland would have to make, is something I have thought about for a while. Of course, my first priority after my post-tax season lie in is a (non-anonymous) contribution to the referendum consultation. Having voted on both sides of the Atlantic, I thought I would offer my views on the turnout-related question.
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2012-04-06 14:28
With the Scotsman’s sales going through the floor relentlessly over the past several years and their share-price now dropped to 6p from £3.50 – just who is bankrolling this perverse business case?
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2012-04-06 15:12
Whis is holding thier Junk Bonds? One for those with investigative skills I think!
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2012-04-06 16:01
Quoting Barontorc:
I think considering its performance, and that it has recently “been in constructive discussions with its lenders regarding the extension of its credit facilities for a further three years from their current maturity on 30 September 2012”
I do actually wonder about the funding of Johnstone press.
source;
johnstonpress.co.uk/…/…
With the Scotsman’s sales going through the floor relentlessly over the past several years and their share-price now dropped to 6p from £3.50 – just who is bankrolling this perverse business case?
I think considering its performance, and that it has recently “been in constructive discussions with its lenders regarding the extension of its credit facilities for a further three years from their current maturity on 30 September 2012”
I do actually wonder about the funding of Johnstone press.
source;
johnstonpress.co.uk/…/…
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2012-04-06 16:10
I was just posting the other day that Johnston press have debts of around £350m which they tried to sort out with a re-capitalisation a while ago. I believe It didn’t work.
They just can’t service their debts, what a shame !
They just can’t service their debts, what a shame !
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2012-04-06 14:34
Of course, the intelligent response to the Amazon tax avoidance from the Hoostmon would be to call for Corporation Tax to be devolved straight away to Scotland. But no! They have to put on their union jack tinted glasses and blame the SNP! IDIOTS!
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2012-04-06 14:51
ach, just take them to court for libel and sink the JP once and for all..good riddance. roll on 2014
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2012-04-06 15:12
Weirdest attack yet from the Scotsman. I can only assume they are running out of anti-SNP/scarestories
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2012-04-06 15:44
What’s as worrying is this growing trend of Labour being able to release any anti SNP story, regardless of it’s accuracy and having a unionist paper repeat verbatim it’s claims.
This is not journalism this is propaganda.
This is not journalism this is propaganda.
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2012-04-06 16:09
If labour can be quoted, then it gives the BBC and news papers a valid story. The lack of investigative journalism, checking claims, cross referencing information and asking questions is also sadly lacking.
Little if any checking is done unless the SNP or SG make claims. This one sided balance, non reporting and lack of standards is what makes this propaganda taste all the more foul.
I do not mind valid criticism, it can be a very good in fact in all walks of life to improve things and make things more acceptable to those involved.
The press do need to grow up and get professional at news reporting, rather than being a political mouthpiece spouting propaganda to suit their agenda. Falling sales and a growing lack of trust have to come to a head sooner rather than later.
They are accountable to the general public, sadly we put up with it as it seems that know one has any powers to make them pull their socks up.
Its disgusting behaviour and perhaps reflects the state of UK politics as much as anything.
Little if any checking is done unless the SNP or SG make claims. This one sided balance, non reporting and lack of standards is what makes this propaganda taste all the more foul.
I do not mind valid criticism, it can be a very good in fact in all walks of life to improve things and make things more acceptable to those involved.
The press do need to grow up and get professional at news reporting, rather than being a political mouthpiece spouting propaganda to suit their agenda. Falling sales and a growing lack of trust have to come to a head sooner rather than later.
They are accountable to the general public, sadly we put up with it as it seems that know one has any powers to make them pull their socks up.
Its disgusting behaviour and perhaps reflects the state of UK politics as much as anything.
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2012-04-06 16:31
Having published the nonsense that is the “Kick in the teeth” story, the Scotsman leader says “This, to be fair, is neither the fault of, nor a problem for, Scotland’s First Minister” – then why make themselves look so foolish by running it in the first place? I think they just don’t care anymore, they know the paper is going down the tubes and are “demob-happy”, no doubt expecting to pick up spin doctor/adviser jobs with the unionist parties as their reward for the propaganda work since 2007.
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2012-04-06 17:43
Surely corporation tax is a complete red herring here? It seems to me that £10m was cheap at the price to attract Amazon to undertake this development here in Scotland. How much income tax and NI is paid, how much in business rates, water and other utilities? How much is saved in dole money and other benefits by having all of these people gainfully employed? Would the BritNats rather that hadn’t happened and that Amazon had gone to Ireland or elsewhere?
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2012-04-06 19:03
Quoting alasdairmac:
Yes.
Would the BritNats rather that hadn’t happened and that Amazon had gone to Ireland or elsewhere?
Yes.
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2012-04-06 19:12
Quoting Jiggsbro:
…and no doubt Alex Salmond would be at fault for that too
Quoting alasdairmac:Would the BritNats rather that hadn’t happened and that Amazon had gone to Ireland or elsewhere?
Yes.
…and no doubt Alex Salmond would be at fault for that too
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2012-04-06 19:03
I remember hearing about a similar story before the financial crash, Scotland and particularly Edinburgh are short on hotels, not just cheap hotels that I had imagined, but at the 5 star end of the market there is a shortage of rooms.
It is a little sad that most jobs within the hospitality trade are relatively low paid jobs which people in this country turn their noses up at. Most of the big hotels in Edinburgh have a strong number of Polish staff, but few Scots. Polish are good however and work hard, very polite etc.
It is a little sad that most jobs within the hospitality trade are relatively low paid jobs which people in this country turn their noses up at. Most of the big hotels in Edinburgh have a strong number of Polish staff, but few Scots. Polish are good however and work hard, very polite etc.
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2012-04-06 19:54
I’m sick of folk saying Scots folk won’t take these minimum wage jobs.
The can’t afford to!
I have a few Polish friends, and they are only here for a short time. They tend to sleep in flats with around 4 folk per room. It is only a short term thing for them.
A Polish couple i know are here for 2 years. They work 12 hour days for minimum wage. Both of them are university educated. They share a flat with lots of other Polish folk, and pay minimum bills. No council tax, etc. They cook on camping stoves to save paying electricity. At the end of 2 years, they intend going back to Poland and buying a house with the money they have saved.
They couldn’t do that for 30 odd years like a Scots person would be expected to do.
The can’t afford to!
I have a few Polish friends, and they are only here for a short time. They tend to sleep in flats with around 4 folk per room. It is only a short term thing for them.
A Polish couple i know are here for 2 years. They work 12 hour days for minimum wage. Both of them are university educated. They share a flat with lots of other Polish folk, and pay minimum bills. No council tax, etc. They cook on camping stoves to save paying electricity. At the end of 2 years, they intend going back to Poland and buying a house with the money they have saved.
They couldn’t do that for 30 odd years like a Scots person would be expected to do.
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2012-04-06 21:13
Not all hospitality jobs are minimum wage, just like not all retail jobs are minimum wage. I know someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for a short while and while he enjoyed his time there it was only as a stop gap until he was able to get a job that he was actually qualified for.
There are thousands of people working in low paid jobs across Scotland, just as there are across the rest of Europe, Canada, the States and Asia etc.
Some of these jobs might not be a career choice, but they are jobs. It costs a lot of money for a business to employ staff, a business has to pay TAX and NI above the employees share.
What I think is unfortunate for younger people that the cost difference to employ someone over the age of 25 is very little, and these people normally have much more working experience. Yet large numbers of people under 25 can’t get a job in order to get the experience.
The problem is far worse in Spain with 50% of those under 25 without work. Puts living like a student for a couple of years to buy a house back in Poland into perspective.
There are thousands of people working in low paid jobs across Scotland, just as there are across the rest of Europe, Canada, the States and Asia etc.
Some of these jobs might not be a career choice, but they are jobs. It costs a lot of money for a business to employ staff, a business has to pay TAX and NI above the employees share.
What I think is unfortunate for younger people that the cost difference to employ someone over the age of 25 is very little, and these people normally have much more working experience. Yet large numbers of people under 25 can’t get a job in order to get the experience.
The problem is far worse in Spain with 50% of those under 25 without work. Puts living like a student for a couple of years to buy a house back in Poland into perspective.
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2012-04-06 20:44
Thanks so much for that reference, Mato, I see that “the high-end Glen Affric Estate is also scheduled to open in April in the National Nature Reserve outside of Inverness and will offer guests a luxury Highlands hunting lodge experience.”
Anyone else know this beautiful glen and the hunting lodge hotel?
Anyone else know this beautiful glen and the hunting lodge hotel?
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2012-04-06 20:24
Estonia operates zero per cent corporation tax on all reinvested profits. It seems to be weathering the economic slump better than most and has the lowest debt raitio in Europe.
Possibly a connection?
Possibly a connection?
#
2012-04-06 22:24
I’m sorry to see Hugh Andrew of Birlinn involved in this nonsense, but it has been obvious for some time that he loathes the SNP and all its works. A pity, since I admire his guts in running Birlinn, a job I would imagine to be far from a bed of roses.
#
2012-04-07 11:26
I work in a small newsagents and get around 24 Scotsmans to sell daily and often have to return as many as 14.
Says it all,doesn’t it!!
Says it all,doesn’t it!!
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