Hammond is accused over £30million ‘gift’

EAR THIS Hammond gives speech yesterday helping his “fatcat friends” with plans for a £30million fund to PHILIP Hammond has been “encourage” business giants branded a “hypocrite” for including Amazon to act as vowing to crack down on tax mentors to small firms. avoiders such as Amazon while He said he wanted them to giving them a £30million “bung” share their “knowledge” with to mentor small firms. small firms to aid productivity.

In his keynote speech, with But the proposals have spotlights above reminding the sparked fears Amazon could audience of Mickey Mouse, the teach how to pay low tax bills. Chancellor boasted We revealed in August that that Britain was last year Amazon ready to go it alone paid its lowest UK with a levy on corporation tax bill online giants. in five years at

But his words £4.6million. were labelled an Peter Dowd, “empty promise” Labour’s Shadow after he told the Chief Secretary to City that the Tories the Treasury, said: were the “party of “Philip Hammond’s business” and huge GOOD LOOK Mickey happy to bung big companies were “a businesses like force for good”. Amazon to persuade them to

Vowing to act on tax avoiding mentor small firms. firms, Mr Hammond had said: “But he can issue only vague “The best way to tax international and empty promises to clamp companies is through down on tax avoiders. It’s hypocrisy international agreement. and plain embarrassing.”

“But if we cannot reach agreement, The Tories revealed 137 the UK will go it alone mentors from big businesses – with a Digital Services Tax.” including Amazon, KPMG, GSK

However the Chancellor was and Siemens – had already accused of simultaneously signed up to be mentors.