http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20384428

'Inward investment' my arse, that's what competition's all about. Don't wanna pay tax? Lose out on an entire market.

And how are we supposed to trust HMRC after Vodafone (amongst other 'sweetheart' deals)?

Actually the inward investment crap will gets my goat. If Starbucks up-sticks and left does anyone think that we would be devoid of coffee shops? We might actually have more independents and they actually pay tax. If the big multinationals were to go I doubt that we would be without the products. It would open up a huge market for domestic manufacturers. If there were decent investment opportunities for locals they would fill the market gaps.

That's always been my argument. The multinationals are here because there is a demand for the products they supply. If they were to leave, the demand wouldn't up sticks and move with them. There'd still be a demand here, which would translate into opportunity for someone else. This is why any threat by any multinational that sells a concrete, physical product to leave the country is bunk and frankly their bluff should be called every time.

It reminds me of all the idiots who came out and said if Labour won the '98 election they'd up sticks. Did any of them? No.

Jon

If people want to be tax exiles they should be forced to hand back their passport and face life bans from travelling here. Imagine if some actor decided that he would be a tax exile in the US but could never visit family here or even promote their films here, they would be immediately stripped of any honours and that their kids would lose their citizenship as well would they be willing to do so? Make being a tax exile a much tougher decision and we might actually see the rich pay up.

Something's not right. I'm agreeing with Vince Cable.