Mayor calls for “good corporate citizens” to invest in London

At today’s Mayor’s Question Time, Andrew Dismore AM, Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden questioned the Mayor Sadiq Khan over the need to attract responsible businesses to London, in the light of Brexit uncertainty.

 

Mr Dismore asked the Mayor:

‘We know Brexiteer Conservatives and UKIP are keen to see the UK as a low tax, low regulation, Singapore style economy with appalling labour standards, but do we really want New York’s cast offs like Amazon, who they are promoting, who would fit that bill. Amazon pulled out of NYC after the criticism of their plan to set up there?

‘Can I remind the Conservatives that whilst Amazon’s UK sales rose to more than £11bn in 2017, the tax they paid (if any) on these sales is not publicly known because sales are routed through Luxembourg. Amazon has paid only £61.7m corporation tax here in 20 years. Amazon has been criticised for its poor warehouse working conditions.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to encourage to come to London those businesses that pay their fair share of taxes and are known for good working practices? And isn’t the real barrier to inward investment Brexit uncertainty for which the Conservatives and the Prime Minister are responsible?’

The Mayor said that:

he spends a lot of time talking to global business CEOs about the threat of Brexit and their concerns about investing in London. Our future should not be low skilled and low wage jobs and we don’t want a race to the bottom. Instead we want to encourage high skilled and high wage jobs, with good corporate citizens who contribute tax and have good working practices. That is why he has set up the Good Work Standard, which he encourages people to join.

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