Parliamentary committees, revolving doors and Vodafone's tax settlement
Vodafone has borne the brunt of public anger over government public sector and welfare cuts in the past fortnight. The company has been involved in a long-running legal battle with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which accused the company of breaking tax regulations when it used a Luxembourg company, Vodafone Investments Luxembourg (VIL), to dispose of its shares in Mannesman. The regulations seek to ensure that UK companies with subsidiaries in 'tax havens' pay at no less than the UK tax rate.
EU billions to keep burning fossil fuels
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has been promoted by industry as the solution to tackling climate change. Why stop burning fossil fuels when instead you can capture the carbon dioxide and store it in a hole in the ground? Defying objections on the grounds of cost, feasibility,the environment and in the face of public opposition , heavy industry has pushed for EU support for CCS. Shell, BP and others representing the industry, persuaded UK Liberal MEP Chris Davies to work on their behalf, effectively securing billions of euros in EU subsidies to support the new technology.
The Iron Triangle: The Carlyle Group Exposed
"Frank Carlucci was setting up policies while he was in office as Secretary of Defence that he's now capitalising on as Chairman of Carlyle Group. Its a brilliant scheme if you think about it..."
The Carlyle Group is a Global Private Equity Merchant Bank, it employs high profile politicians such as George Bush senior and John Major, defence experts and business people from around the world. The 'Iron Triangle' refers to the confluence of big business, the military and politics.
From San Diego to Santiago: ITT and the Nixon administration
“We are one team with one mission”[1]
ITT company motto
During the late 1960s and early 1970s ITT brought inexorable pressure on the Nixon administration to ameliorate the effects of US anti-trust policies. This included pressure on government from an army of lobbyists, and covert funding for the 1971 Republican Convention in San Diego. At the same time, ITT was leading a group of international companies who aimed to block Salvador Allende's nationalisation plans in Chile and guide US foreign policy.