A Green Party-led motion was supported by Councillors on Cannock Chase Council to join a national movement of Councils standing up for responsible tax conduct
Councillors across the UK work hard to serve their local communities and help direct the delivery of essential public services. By signing up to the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration, Cannock Chase Council has demonstrated their alignment of values by committing to take the lead in the promotion of exemplary tax conduct through leading by example on their own tax conduct, demanding greater transparency from suppliers and calling for more meaningful powers to tackle tax avoidance amongst suppliers when buying goods and services.
Research commissioned by the Fair Tax Mark from DatLab has revealed that between 2014-19, a huge 17.5% of UK public procurement contracts – with a combined value of £37.5bn – were won by businesses with connections to a tax haven. The UK Government has closed many tax avoidance loopholes in recent years, but an estimated £7bn of corporation tax receipts are still going astray as a result of profit-shifting alone.
Significantly, polling has found that two-thirds of the public agree that the government and local councils should consider a company’s ethics and how they pay their taxes as well as value for money and quality of service, when undertaking procurement.
Councillor Paul Woodhead, leader of the Green Group on Cannock Chase Council who brought the proposition for consideration by Council said “I am delighted colleague councillors support this declaration. We should absolutely support those businesses who pay the right amount of tax at the right time and make a positive decision to not procure services or support in any way businesses who rob our community of their fair share of taxes by using tax havens or other tax avoidance measures.”
Website for the https://fairtaxmark.net/
The motion at council was passed 22 for the motion (Green and Labour) 17 abstain (Conservative, Lib Dem, Independent) two councillors were absent (Green and LibDem)