[KarlMarx]

dutchyankee – 07/07/2015 10:18 BST

Spot on, your comments about brands/emotions.

This is why they are so valuable.

[SimonS1]

I can honestly say I have never got emotional about British Airways before.

[canucklad]

Schoolboy error AD,
So, continuing on with famous brands
Ballantine’s, Macallan, Grants, Whyte & Mackay and of course, everyone’s pal ….. Johnny Walker
Are just some Scotch friends I’ve spent a pleasant evening with …….

Back on topic…..I do actually remember flying on BCal from GLA to AMS via NCL to connect with my CP flights, as a young boy. .. An airline that was destined to fail because it had to compete on BA’s terms…..
On another topic I commented on BA having a privileged position as the incumbent government airline. Let me expand on this point. When BEA & BOAC merged it created a mega carrier, without the consequences of inefficiency being addressed. as a result the nationalised company carried on regardless, whilst the smaller independents like BCal were heavily regulated to stop direct competition with BA, so as to not harm BA.

Why I find the this topic quite absorbing is that I agree with both sides of the argument. British airways is in a privileged place, because unlike other nationalised companies that were sold off, BA was allowed to remain intact without fixes put in place to allow and encourage free competition.
And I could argue the point that, at the time of privatization, BA management had so many people directly linked to Maggie and no 10, it’s a surprise Virgin is still flying today. As a result today’s BRITISH Airways is an Oak tree grown from a very protected acorn.

As for Maggie and her handkerchief….If there was ever an example of “Little Englander” behaviour it was that !!,

[Edski777]

KM on your, no doubt hypothetical, question about BAT’s tax payments: as little as possible.

I scrolled through their 2013 Annual report and on page 38 found the following statements:

Quote

––be open and transparent with tax authorities and operate with
mature, professional relationships;
––seek to optimise shareholder return by structuring the business in a
tax efficient manner;

End Quote

They also have a Holding in the Netherlands that employs treasury and tax experts and participates in projects. In the Netherlands this is typically regarded as a euphemism for tax evasion schemes. Please note: a lot of companies have very attractive arrangements with the Dutch tax authorities in order to evade high taxes in their country of origin. It is all based on the enormous amount of bilateral tax agreements between the Netherlands and countries worldwide in order to prevent paying double taxes. Nothing illegal, but highly questionable, as did a commons committee last year in an open hearing.

Totally off topic, but some background information. British doesn’t necessarily mean the highest ethical standards with regards to taxes where taxes are due.
Loopholes are for everybody who can get away with it.

[KarlMarx]

Edski777 – 07/07/2015 11:12 BST

Interesting info and a very sound point in your last sentence.

I bet BT would love to ditch all the payphone network tomorrow, if they could get away with it.

[SimonS1]

I heard someone on the radio refer to the “British Open” golf.

Doubly bad, as it is of course The Open and could not be British as it has never been played in Wales.

Disgusting.

[dutchyankee]

@SimonS1, 🙂 Hilarious

[KarlMarx]

SimonS1 – 07/07/2015 14:05 BST

if you can’t do a better troll than that, probably better off trying another thread.

On the other hand, you keep bumping the thread quite nicely, so feel free to carry on 😉

[MrMichael]

Me again.

KarlMarx, I think you are wrong about BT and their phone boxes. They are spending a lot of money on putting new and bigger ones in on the basis they are wheelchair accessible. As a cynic, I don’t think they give two hoots about people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters being able to access a public phone, but the advertising revenue derived from the structure will do very nicely thank you.

On the subject of tax and the Netherlands. I do not think my regular Starbucks Latte would taste as good without the Dutch side of Starbucks receiving its commission for being the middle man on the export of coffee from Guatemala to the UK. British Starbucks does have a certain ring to it mind you.

[KarlMarx]

Mr Michael

Maybe these particular phone boxes are proiftable ones?

You may find this link interesting:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/uso/statement/removing_callboxes.pdf

It would be interesting if airlines had to consult before removing unprofitable routes.

[andystock]

Would have been interesting if Scotland had voted for independence and axed APD. Would BA have started operating a few long hauls from EDI or GLA with the huge savings in tax.

[SimonS1]

I wonder if the British Naturist Organisation has full coverage across Great Britain?

[Tramor01]

Actually it’s not the British Open Championship…… It is officially called The Open Championship…. it’s only Americans and such like add the word British 😉

[canucklad]

Well andystock, there’s the rub I’m afraid…….When the polls suggested the “Yes” campaign would prevail in the referendum, the heavyweights of Westminster descended upon us bearing gifts.
Sadly, these gentlemen ,unlike the 3 wise men of the east, seem to now be going back on their word, and the Chief of the Indian giving tribe , Mr Cameron is IMO is trying to lose or at least slow down the delivery of these promises by dropping them in legislative red tape. I assume ,therefore hoping that we would forget all about their shiny trinkets….

And incidentally APD was already set to be devolved, so it wasn’t a bauble in amongst the trinkets ,that the desperate Dan’s appeared with their last minute begging bribes, yet it’s now as far away then ever.

[KarlMarx]

SimonS1 – 07/07/2015 21:10 BST

Thanks for the good work, keep the thread bumping going.

[Author]

Posts