Ed Miliband tells Boots boss: Shut up and pay your taxes

Labour leader hits back after the boss of one of Britain's companies blasts his plan for the country



Ed Miliband attacked the “unholy alliance” between the Tories and tax-dodging businesses today after the boss of Boots said he would be a “catastrophe” as Prime Minister.

Answering questions from young people in a televised debate, Mr Miliband vowed to "stand up to these powerful forces" and act on tax avoidance by individuals and corporations.

He attacked Boots boss Stefano Pessina for lecturing voters while living in a tax haven.

Mr Miliband said: "It turns out that the chairman of Boots lives in Monaco and is actually avoiding his taxes.

"I've just got to say to you, I don't think people in Britain are going to take kindly to being lectured by someone who is avoiding his taxes on how they should be voting in the UK general election."

During the live debate hosted by Sky News and Facebook, he added: “How can we say to people in benefits and others you should be responsible when some of the most powerful people in our country are avoiding their taxes and not doing the right thing.

"You have now got this unholy alliance between the Conservative Party and people like him who are actually saying that the country can't change," he said.

"Mr Pessina has been trying to lecture us about what we should be doing in this country.

“Frankly, I think he should be paying his taxes."

This morning, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls also hit back at Mr Pessina, saying: "In the next three months we are going to have a number of people brought forward by the Conservatives - whether it is Gary Barlow or Mr Pessina - saying 'Don't vote Labour'

"The idea that somebody who doesn't pay any tax in Britain should be telling British people how to vote, I think, will stick in the craw."

I think Miliband would (will) be a disaster for the country.

He was certainly a disaster for Labour as they never looked like winning the next election even when the coalition was at the height of its unpopularity at the mid-term stage.

He's right though about tax dodgers telling everyone else how the country should be run.

He's right though about tax dodgers telling everyone else how the country should be run.

You try owing the taxman money! Even if they make a mistake, it's your fault! As usual, it is the 'little man' that suffers.

I don't buy the argument that if we clamp down on businesses they will move off-shore.

It really is time that we simplified the tax laws in this country, but it won't happen because the cheating politicians (of all colours) have too much to personally lose.