Southwark Liberal Democrats call on Council to sign Fair Tax Declaration

The Liberal Democrats on Friday called for Southwark Council to sign up to the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration in Fair Tax Week, which runs from 11th-19th June.

The declaration, an initiative from the Fair Tax Foundation, calls upon councils to lead by example on their own tax conduct and through their procurement spending.

Research from the Fair Tax Foundation found that 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 Southwark Liberal Democrats have called for cross-party support for making Southwark the third Fair Tax borough in London after Greenwich and Lambeth.

Commenting, Cllr Rachel Bentley, Southwark Liberal Democrat said:

“Recent polling shows that two thirds of people care that public money is spent with companies who are committed to ethical behaviour, which includes paying their fair share of tax. We are delighted to see that there is cross-party support for fair taxes in Southwark. We hope Southwark Labour can demonstrate this shared commitment and take a vital first step by pledging to sign up to the Councils for Fair Tax Declaration in Fair Tax Week. This is a critical step in making sure public funds go to companies who are committed to building a stronger and fairer economy.”