Labour on brink of 'disastrous' foreign profits tax u-turn
Shadow chancellor George Osborne says Darling will drop plans to tax foreign profits
Tory shadow chancellor George Osborne has claimed Alistair Darling is on the
brink of his ‘seventh major u-turn’ since becoming chancellor with a climb-down
over the taxation of foreign profits.
He said: ‘Another day, another u-turn from Alistair Darling!’
Osborne said he welcomed indications the chancellor has ‘ditched this
disastrous policy’ but complained even proposing a tax on foreign profits had
been ‘deeply damaging to UK business’.
He said the switch followed changes on the 10p tax rate, capital gains tax
and fuel duty and forecast: ‘It cannot be long before the chancellor is forced
to u-turn on his plans to increase road tax for millions of families.’
He complained that instead of strong leadership there was an absence of
direction and ‘a failing government driven by events’.
Osborne’s attack followed reports Darling was about to scrap the proposal
because of a threatened exodus of companies from the UK. It originated as part
of a crackdown on avoidance.