The assault on zero-ten is part of a campaign

Monday 22nd November 2010, 3:00PM GMT.

From John Boothman.
I READ with interest the attack by ex-Senator Ted Vibert of the Jersey Democratic Alliance on Jersey’s zero-ten corporate tax regime (JEP,16 November), guided he tells us by Richard Murphy of the Tax Justice Network.

Local politicians who sup with Mr Murphy and his colleague John Christensen should use a long spoon. The TJN has dedicated itself to destroying Jersey as an international finance centre, and their assault on zero-ten is just one part of this greater campaign.

If they are successful in their larger objective, the Jersey economy will be laid waste and many thousands of Islanders, both those directly employed in the industry and those dependant on it, will face ruin.

Evidently the JDA’s brief flirtation with political moderation is now at an end – something for voters to bear in mind when next year’s elections take place?

1
Steve

November 23, 2010 at 9:58 am

Ted Vibert and friends are anti-finance and its the only assumption you can make from his behaviour to date.

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2
livioja

November 23, 2010 at 6:09 pm

It may seem strange, but ‘finance’ is a big word , and covers many facets of the industry: there are many useful sections of finance, both to the Island and to their clients. The problem is that some people do not seem to be able to distinguish
finance from trash speculation, which in the end is going to harm the ‘good’ side of the industry. Greed is anti-finance, thankfully there are a few level-headed people out there who HAVE noticed.

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3
dave

November 23, 2010 at 11:31 pm

Maybe it needs someone like John Boothman to stand against Ted Vibert in next years elections?

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4
Adrian

November 24, 2010 at 12:18 am

A good pro-establishment piece. However at least we are allowed to comment.

As I see it, 0-10 is causing problems for the average person over here. It is being compounded by the introduction of a regressive tax called GST. This is having an adverse effect, being even more pronounced, due to the depression we are now in.

Shutting down spending like this is risking pushing Jersey even further into recession than it already is.

As per the possibility of ruin, whose fault is this? Surely the government must realise that to be dependent on one source of income is very foolish?

Jersey needs to diversify away from finance. Nothing stays the same forever. Industries come and they go…

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5
stella artois

November 24, 2010 at 8:46 pm

I suggest John Boothman stops worrying about what Ted Vibert, Richard Murphy and others are saying about zero ten. Many of our great local politicians have been telling us for years that zero ten would be the saviour of our finance industry and general well being.

Neither of those opinions matter, as it’s what the powers that be in Europe think of zero ten that will decide if it saves us or not.

The fact it appears today that the EU aren’t too impressed with zero ten seems to suggest the naysayers were right and our politicians were wrong.

Richard Murphy and co, as well as some of our local politicians have questioned the vailidity of zero ten since it’s inception 6 years ago. They have all been shot down in flames and told we had approval, we had approval, we had approval.

Well, it looks like we didn’t, and personally I’m angry with those who kept saying it would work, not those who said it wouldn’t and have now been proved correct.

What now Mr Boothman?

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