Pizza Express to sell dim sum

[Jack]

Pizza Express sold to Chinese rug baggers for 900m

More taxes no longer be paid to the UK Exchequer.

The latest in a long line of UK companies that used to pay UK taxes, including Cadbury, British Steel -Tata to that and the Royal Mail.

And we wonder why we're skint :-(

 

[Smurf]

Pizza Express sold to Chinese rug baggers for 900m

More taxes no longer be paid to the UK Exchequer.

The latest in a long line of UK companies that used to pay UK taxes, including Cadbury, British Steel -Tata to that and the Royal Mail.

And we wonder why we're skint :-(

British Steel used to pay taxes? They were also given huge subsidies from UK taxes paid....

 

[Jack]

British Steel used to pay taxes? They were also given huge subsidies from UK taxes paid....

That's true, just getting my Tata joke in ;-), but I think like many of the nationalised companies it had become a profit making company and could have been contributing to the Exchequer in more ways than just taxes.

Besides the missing billion from the sale of Royal Mail, it had become profit making before it was sold off and as the banks return to profit they'll likewise be sold off to the friends of Westminster.

But the Westminster attitude 'just let them get on with it' to private companies pisses me off in a similar way. The recent proposed US takeover of the pharmaceutical company jointly owned in the UK and Finland(?). The Finnish government at least voiced its concerns and sought assurances. Other countries just say no when major companies are the subject of takeovers.

When I think of all the companies that were Scottish/British when I was younger and look for them now many are foreign owned. Profits going elsewhere and taxes being avoided or paid overseas and yes, these companies also receive government handouts.

Surely over the years billions that could have gone to the Exchequer has been lost. I'm not saying it would have been spent wisely but I doubt we'd be in the state we are now.