Saturday, January 16th 2010 - 07:04 UTC

Mayor Johnson says top bankers fleeing from London over taxes

Thousands of high-earning bankers will flee London because of the Government's taxation policy, Mayor Boris Johnson has warned. He has written to Chancellor Alistair Darling asking for a meeting to discuss his introduction of a 50p income tax rate for top earners and a temporary 50% levy on banking bonuses over £25,000.

Boris Johnson says 9.000 bankers “planning to leave”

His call comes after US President Barack Obama said he would tax America's biggest banks to recoup the cost of the multi-billion dollar taxpayer bail-out. British companies are expected to be hit with a bill of £900m by Mr Obama, Sky sources say.

Mr Johnson, Mayor of London, says 9,000 bankers are planning to leave London because of the Government's tax policy. Several companies have told him they are rethinking plans to locate, grow or remain in London, including one financial institution where 1,600 staff have asked for reallocations out of the City and another which is considering moving up to 800.

Mr Johnson told the Chancellor: “I believe that the Government's current policy towards financial services is ill-judged.

”You have made unilateral changes to taxation that risk damaging London's competitiveness and its status, alongside New York, as the world's leading financial services centre.

“London becomes a less attractive destination for the globe-trotting, highly-skilled business men and women who can contribute greatly to our economy.

”By allowing this approach to continue, the Government is doing nothing more than fast-tracking the departure of this talent pool out of Britain and into the welcoming arms of our competitors such as New York and Singapore.“

As the Government comes under pressure from the Mayor to ease taxes, the Government is coming under pressure to follow Mr Obama's lead and levy a bail-out tax to help recover the £850bn spent propping up UK banks.

Labour MP John Mann said the new US tax had ”de-legitimized“ claims bankers will flee abroad to avoid levies in the UK. Mr Mann, who sits on the influential Commons Treasury Committee, said: ”I think it is an excellent plan and it opens up the possibility for the rest of the world - including this country - to do something similar”.

16 comments Feed

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1 geo (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 03:33 pm Report abuse
location is not important !
the main problem is - the volumization- of British Banks.
think a country is about -- 1.9 trillions Euro GDP- which has only exportings like ..British Accented Speakers on foreign TV...Football Clubs..
but has -- 7 trillions £ assets(ed)--Banks
2 gong (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 03:54 pm Report abuse
Britons are very “ opportunist”..they have used the disarmings of
French and Germans inside of NATO structure ..
but there, too many kinds other weapons that they know or not ..
3 ed (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 05:54 pm Report abuse
Geo forgot to say that one more exporting item ..which is “packaged
media lies”..They need the lies to exploit others..to stance.
NATO 's other all members( non Anglo-Saxons) have miserable conditions !
4 jupiter (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 05:57 pm Report abuse
Hong Kong is finished ! hurrah DUBAI ..hurrah DUBAI ...!
5 owl (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 06:33 pm Report abuse
jupiter ..haven't you hear that DUBAI finished ?
hurrah PAPUA NEW GUINEA ..hurrah PAPUA NEW GUINEA (likely).
6 tarzan (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 07:29 pm Report abuse
BOO !!!! 7 trillions where is justice !?
my GDP (revenue) annualy is 250.000 $...I want to have a
*1 million$* Bank or Bank Share or Banking Accounts at Swiss..Luxembourg..Off Shore of course by tax exemptions ..
7 owl (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 10:48 pm Report abuse
i agree with Gong and Ed.. coward French and Germans are in deep crisis
but they are voice out on the Anglo-Saxon yoked Media.. Why? ..becouse
they have no weighty Military Powers.
8 tunaboy (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 11:09 pm Report abuse
I am writing from a poor Nato country.
no any Democracy at here.all are the factotum of gay Pentagon.
TV s are directed by Anglo-Saxons as Owl said.
British and accented speakers do in all TV channels. all said are lie.
9 jupiter (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 11:21 pm Report abuse
owl !!! our hope is the human eating human there to make rid of
Britons in Papua New Guinea.
10 tarzan (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 11:31 pm Report abuse
the only solution is ::::: the fragmentation of
{( UQ) -United Queendom} together with US.
11 orca (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 11:44 pm Report abuse
We have a small Bentonite Mine , once a day a few Britons came
to us and proposed a barter with their a Fifth (5.) League Team.
We had expelled them.
12 ed (#) Jan 16th, 2010 - 11:54 pm Report abuse
dishonest Britons have some “commodity exchange markets ”!!
there should be seized them step by step !!
13 exocet82 (#) Jan 18th, 2010 - 09:40 am Report abuse
They are welcome in Argentina!
14 gong (#) Jan 18th, 2010 - 06:21 pm Report abuse
bien hallado !
15 geo (#) Jan 18th, 2010 - 06:33 pm Report abuse
UQ 's -- United Queendom-- total international investment position :
( Britishland)
output ( assets) : 6.660 trillions £
direct investment : 1.050 trillions £
portfolio : 1.900 trillions £
debts : 1.220 trillions £
other : 3.600 trillions £

input ( liabilities) : 6.750 trillions £
direct investment : 0.680 trillion £
portfolio : 2.300 trillions £
debts : 1.600 trillions £
other : 3.700 trillions £
16 ed (#) Jan 18th, 2010 - 10:16 pm Report abuse
worker bees work well around the Queen ( once who was my dreams' bee)

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