Labour

Peter Dowd MP, Labour’s Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, commenting on reports that Ebay only paid £1.6 million in UK tax despite registering $1.3 billion in revenue in Britain in 2016, said:

“As every day passes it is increasingly clear that this Conservative Government is incapable of tackling tax avoidance and ensuring that multinational corporations pay their way. The growing discrepancy between the revenues companies like Ebay record and the low level of tax they pay in the UK, only demonstrates how divorced from the reality of the modern economy our corporate tax system has become.

“The next Labour government will introduce our Tax Transparency and Enforcement Programme which will clamp down on tax avoidance and build an economy which works for the many, not the few.”

Tom Watson, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on accusations the Conservatives have rolled back on manifesto commitments on internet safety, said:

“The Culture Secretary seems to have bowed to pressure from the social media giants before her strategy had even been published. 

“The Tories made a clear and unambiguous promise in their manifesto to bring forward legislation to compel social media providers and other internet firms to pay a levy – but it’s now been watered down to a voluntary levy. We know from the gambling industry that a voluntary system allows companies to ignore their responsibilities and to underpay. Karen Bradley should keep her promise and make sure the tech giants do the right thing. 

“They have had nearly a decade to deal with these issues and failed. I find it hard to believe a voluntary code will change much. They may evade appropriate regulation from the Tories but they should know that a future Labour government will not succumb to their lobbying power.“

Cat Smith MP, Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs, commenting on the Electoral Commission report on voting in 2017, said:

“Labour is committed to taking radical steps to ensure all eligible voters are registered and able to use their vote. We welcome the Electoral Commission’s findings that two thirds of voters support auto-enrolment with NI Numbers.

“A Labour government will extend the locations in which voter registration can take place and pilot the idea of polling day voter registration, as well as examining the use of government data to automatically place people on the electoral roll.”

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on the Institute for Global Prosperity’s report on Universal Basic Services, said:

“Rapid technological changes are a profound challenge for our economy and society. This report offers bold new thinking on how we can overcome those challenges and create an economy that is radically fairer and offers opportunities for all.

“It makes an important contribution to the debate around Universal Basic Income, and will help inform Labour’s thinking on how we can build an economy that truly works for the many not the few.”

Tom Watson, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on the Government’s Internet Safety Strategy, said:

“Everyone agrees on the need to deal with abusive and harmful content online. Parents worry about what their children see on the internet, and too many people experience cyberbullying and online intimidation.

“We’re pleased the Government has accepted Labour’s call for compulsory sex and relationship education in schools, including online safety education, as well as for codes of practice for social media companies to prevent abuse.

“But this announcement is short on detail. The Government needs to say more about who exactly will pay the proposed levy, how much they will pay and how it will be spent. And they need to explain what transparency information they will be asking social media companies to provide.”