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Read source on News - Morris dancing for the Olympics?
Every Olympic city stamps its own identity on the opening ceremony, displaying its culture to an audience of billions.

The Barcelona games got under way to the sight of massed flamenco dancers, while Athens had running Greek statues and gyrating “goddesses” holding snakes.

A Liberal Democrat peer is calling for London to follow suit in 2012 with the nearest English equivalent: Morris dancing.

Groups of people jumping around with sticks or handkerchiefs in hand are laughable to some, but Lord Redesdale thinks they could be a great advert for UK tourism.

‘Show them to the world’

He told the BBC News website: “There are 14,000 Morris dancers in this country and they should be represented in the ceremony.

“People come from around the world to see our traditions, so we should show them off whenever we get the chance.

Having all 14,000 Morris dancers in the stadium at the same time would be a great idea Lord Redesdale

“How many people do beach volleyball in the UK? They get Horseguards Parade to show off their skills.

“I’m not suggesting making Morris a sport, but let’s at least give it a role.”

Morris dancing has rather vague origins. Some say it derives from pre-Christian fertility rites, others that it is from the French Moresque or the Spanish Morisca dances of the late 15th and early 16th Centuries.

‘Discrimination’

Northern England has complex sword dances from mining villages, and clog dancers with small gardens on their hats.

The familiar hanky-waving, stick-clashing tradition comes from the Cotswolds and in East Anglia and the Welsh border region, dancers blacken their faces.

Lord Redesdale, a Lib Dem energy spokesman, said: “Morris dancers are discriminated against. A lot of people like to take the mickey, but it brings people a lot of enjoyment.

Snakes had a key role at the Athens opening ceremony

“All Olympic opening ceremonies show off the cultural activities of the country, so why should London 2012 be any different?

“I think having all 14,000 Morris dancers in the stadium at the same time would be a great idea.”

The English “Olympick Games” - or Cotswold Games - which pre-dated the modern Olympics by around 300 years, featured such sports as shin-kicking and cudgel-play.

Morris dancing was an integral part of their opening ceremonies.

So, could clogs, hankies, sticks and bells make a comeback, becoming as much a part of London 2012 as lycra and isotonic sports drinks?

The event’s organisers have promised to use the “full creative talents of Britain’s spectacular world-class directors and artists, technicians and performers will be used to fill the Olympic Stadium with magic, wit and wonder”.

Asked a question by Lord Redesdale, government spokesman Lord Davies of Oldham told the House of Lords that Morris dancing had a “very high cultural value”.

But the contents of the Olympic opening ceremony were not yet decided, he added.

Should Morris dancers perform in the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony? What other quintessentially British traditions should feature in the ceremony?

Please, it’s hard enough trying to defend being English at the best of times. Don’t make it even harder by showcasing to the world one of our more embarrassing traditions. If we were all keen fans of Morris dancing and all joined in at the weekend then may be we should include it. I dare say that if it was as popular we all seem to think, then Morris dancing would have advanced culturally and be relevant to modern English society.
Matt Knight, Auckland, NZ

As a recent convert to Morris dancing, and the youngest of my side (at the age of 40) could I please add a fervent yes to the suggestion that the Morris dancing should be represented on the world stage. It is a truly beautiful and disciplined art - steeped in history and utterly English/Welsh borders - and would honestly represent British folk art at it’s best for a huge audience. I’ve seen massed dances - hundreds of Morris men performing the same moves - and it is an incredible sight. Give us the chance to represent all that is great about the British folk tradition and we promise; we will make you proud to be British. Hankies and all..!
Ben Harding, Bodmin, UK

I think that is it disgraceful when the United Kingdom has been honoured with the Olympic Games in 2012 that all people can think of is negative points from our international sporting past. These games is a great opportunity to show the side of our country that the vast majority believe in and contribute towards a more positive international reputation that we deserve. The Morris should be part of the celebrations although not on the scale of 14,000 dancers, the diversity of the country should be shown through many different mediums from dance to sculpture and music.
Anthony Newman, Norwich, Chatham

14,000 is a tiny minority - what makes this country stand out isn’t Morris dancing. The UK is a great land but why not celebrate the civilisation it brought to the “commonwealth” nations, or what about celebrating the world’s least religious English-speaking state - that’s millions - not thousands - of people - where’s the “fostering of science and rationalism” ceremony?
James, London

Lord Redesdale has got it dead right. Every other country is proud to show off their colourful, lively and traditional dancing. We should do the same with the Morris - with representative groups from across the UK. Another advantage - it needn’t cost millions!
Neil, Abingdon, UK

Do we really want to bore the whole world with a boring Morris dancing that does not represent Multicultural Britain? I suggest a good mixture of traditional English, Scottish, Welsh, Asian, Oriental, African, West Indian and many other ethnic backgrounds should be the main highlight of the 2012 London Olympics.
Keanu Rune, London, UK

Morris dancing (and bell-ringing) were highlights of the St John-at-Hackney fete this summer. They definitely should feature in the entertainments for the Olympics, along with our local klezmer band. East London has some pretty heady culture to offer the world!
Rosemarie Daly, Lower Clapton, London

Are they serious? Morris dancing is one of the things from England that I was glad to leave behind! Even its comedic value wears a bit thin after a few minutes.
Jane Hunt, Perth, Australia

Great idea. I vividly remember as a child going on Boxing Day to see the Chanctonbury Morris Men in Sompting, Sussex. Every year they told the story of St George and the Dragon. I took my own children to see it a few years ago. A mass display allowing groups from all over the UK to display the variety that exists. At the same time dancers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can add their own flavour to it, as well as Carnival Dancers from the Black communities and Indian Dance from the Asian ones. Tradition and diversity surely that is what we should aim to display.
Karen Wood, Bourne, Lincolnshire

Yes, let’s see England’s historic traditions on show. I love to watch the skills of both male and female Morris dancers. I fail to see why, for example, traditional Indian bhangra dancing is cool yet Morris dancing is laughed at. And while we’re at it, let’s have more traditions considered. Maypole dancing? Beefeaters? Mounted guards? Bonfire and fireworks? It’s an excellent opportunity to show what England’s really about.
Peter Ward, Warwick

I am very surprised to discover that today isn’t April 1st. Seriously though, we don’t often get the chance to host the Olympics, and won’t again for a long time - I’m sure we can find something a bit better to show ourselves off to the world than Morris dancing.
David, Warwick, UK

I don’t really see how Morris dancing is representative of Britain, after all it is a British Olympics. 14,000 is hardly a large number of people. Morris dancing is an old, out-dated and very minor aspect of British culture as a whole. I feel a British Olympics should be modern and exciting.
Colin Sanderson, Perth, Scotland

We have many strange and wonderful traditions in the UK, Morris dancing being just one. As we are known the world over for being “eccentric”, we should take the opportunity to celebrate that - wouldn’t it be expected?
Chris, London, UK

Yes, yes, yes! Of course we should have the Morris dancers at the Olympics. They are the only true followers of a British tradition. Their music and dancing are far more entertaining than any “modern” alternative-what else could epitomise the traditions of Britain? Long live The Morris!
Madeleine,

I completely agree that we should include Morris dancing in the Olympic Games in 2012. In fact, this should be taken further and used when the new Zealand Rugby team do the haka. Our brave boys doing a Morris dance will scare the bejesus out of them (or the Kiwis will barely be able to play from collapsing in giggles). We should even have our gallant England football team doing it after the national anthem at the World Cup. Imagine the perplexed faces on the Germans as they watch David Beckham do the hankie dance.
Wayne Hurren, Axminster, United Kingdom

Yes! Let’s have sides from all over: England, Canada, Hong Kong, the US, wherever the dancers are found. Celebrate living tradition!
Roy Underhill, Toronto, Ontario

Not only should 14,000 Morris dancers be in the stadium I believe that it should also honour Britain’s beer-bellied darts players.
Chris Brooksbank, Chelmsford

Yes, send in the Morris dancers. After all, what’s the alternative image of England? Drunken football supporters?
Mike Ayres, Bodmin, Cornwall

Perhaps dancers with ‘Kiss me quick hats’ holding umbrella’s in one hand, leading donkeys in the other, can leap and cavort an entrance to capture the true sense of the traditional British holiday. Naturally, with a Punch and Judy store in front of the Royal box, to keep her majesty interested during lulls in proceedings. Or, perhaps a troop of rowdy bald headed men, wearing union jack t-shirts, braces, jeans and DM’s can re-create the traditional British hooligan attack - stagger into the arena, and throw bottles and seats at the crowd?
Ian Johnston, Horsham

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The ancient Iraqi city of Ashur and Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, where towering statues of Buddha were destroyed by the former Taleban regime, have been designated world heritage sites by the United Nations.

They were among 24 sites added to the annual list compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

Sites in Gambia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Sudan were also recognised for the first time.

The list now includes 754 sites of “outstanding universal value”, according to Unesco.

The sites in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have suffered from war and civil unrest, have also been added to Unesco’s List of World Heritage in Danger.

The new Unesco heritage sites are:

• Purnululu National Park, Australia: Located in the state of Western Australia, it covers an expanse of nearly 250,000 hectares. The park’s Bungle Bungle Range contains sandstone eroded into the shape of bee hives over 20 million years.
• Three parallel rivers of Yunnan protected areas, China: A 1.7 million hectare site in Yunnan province, containing parts of three of the great rivers of Asia: the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween. The rivers run parallel through steep gorges, from 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) to 6,000 metres high.

• Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland: A wooded mountain shaped like a pyramid. Contains some of the best fossil records of marine life from about 250 million years ago.

• Uvs Nuur Basin, Russian Federation/Mongolia: About a million hectares. Contains a rich diversity of birds and is home to the gerbil, jerboas, the marbled polecat, snow leopard, mountain sheep and the Asiatic Ibex.

• Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam: A dramatic, forested highland which includes underground caves and rivers and is mainly covered by tropical rainforest.
• Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan: Previously home to two colossal statues of Buddha, which were blown up by the Taleban in February 2001, provoking worldwide condemnation. Unesco says the choice “symbolises the hope of the international community that extreme acts of intolerance, such as the deliberate destruction of the Buddhas, are never repeated again”.
• Quebrada de Humahuaca, Argentina: A major trade route over the past 10,000 years. Shows traces of the Inca Empire (15th to 16th Century) and of the fight for independence in the 19th and 20th Centuries.
• Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaiso, Chile: An interesting example of late 19th Century urban and architectural development in Latin America.
• The Jewish Quarter and St Procopius’ Basilica in Trebic, Czech Republic: A reminder of the co-existence of Jewish and Christian cultures in the Middle Ages to the 20th Century. The Jewish Quarter provides an insight into a community of a bygone era, while the St Procopius’ Basilica, built in the 13th Century, is an example of the influence of Western European architecture on the region.
• James Island and related sites, Gambia: Significant for its relation to the beginning and abolition of the slave trade. An early gateway to the interior of Africa.
• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, India: Located in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Contains five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic period right through to the Historical period.
• Takht-e Soleyman, Iran: The archaeological site in north-western Iran includes the principal Zoroastrian sanctuary partly rebuilt in the Ilkhanid (Mongol) period (13th Century) as well as a temple of the Sasanian period (6th and 7th Centuries AD) dedicated to Anahita.
• Ashur (Qala’at at Sherqat), Iraq: The ancient city of Ashur dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. From the 14th to the 9th Centuries BC, it was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but revived during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd century AD.
• The White City of Tel-Aviv - the Modern Movement, Israel: The White City was constructed from the early 1930s until 1948. The buildings were designed by European-trained architects, who created an outstanding architectural ensemble of the modern movement in a new cultural context.
• Sacri Monti of Piedmont and Lombardy, Italy: The nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of northern Italy are groups of chapels and other architectural features created in the late 16th and 17th Centuries and dedicated to different aspects of the Christian faith.
• The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, Kazakhstan: The mausoleum, in the town of Yasi, now Turkestan, was built from 1389 to 1405. It is one of the largest and best-preserved constructions of the Timurid period (1370-1507 AD).

• Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Quertaro, Mexico: Built during the last phase of the conversion to Christianity of the interior of Mexico in the mid-18th Century. The richly decorated church faades are of special interest as they represent an example of the joint creative efforts of the missionaries and the Indios.

• Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland, Poland: The churches represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture.

• Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent, Russian Federation:
  Part of the northern limits of the Sassanian Persian Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea. The town of Derbent has retained part of its medieval fabric.

• Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, South Africa: An open, expansive savannah landscape situated on the northern border of South Africa joining Zimbabwe and Botswana. Mapungubwe developed into the largest kingdom in the sub-continent before it was abandoned in the 14th Century. The almost untouched remains of the palace sites, a settlement area and two earlier capital sites survive.

• Ubeda-Baeza: Urban duality, cultural unity, Spain: The urban morphology of the two small cities of Ubeda and Baeza in southern Spain dates back to the Moorish 9th Century and to the Reconquista in the 13th Century. In the 16th Century, the cities were renovated along the lines of the emerging Renaissance.

• Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region, Sudan: Includes several archaeological sites, over more than 60 km (37 miles) in the Nile Valley, of the Napatan (900 to 270 BC) and Meroitic (270 BC to 350 AD) cultures, of the second kingdom of Kush. Tombs, with and without pyramids, temples, living complexes and palaces are also found on the site.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom: The historic landscape garden illustrates the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th Centuries. The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants and documents) which have been considerably enriched through the centuries.

• Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe: Distinctive rock land forms associated with human occupation from the early Stone Age to early historical times, and intermittently since. They also feature an outstanding collection of rock paintings.

• Central Amazon Conservation Complex, Brazil: Comprises the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin and one of the planet’s richest regions in terms of biodiversity.
• Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, China: These tombs were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The property inscribed this year as an extension consists of two distinct burial sites of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Xiaoling, the first emperor of that dynasty is buried there, as are 13 others.

• Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and the Historic District of Panama, Panama: Panama Viejo covers the location and ruins of the first European settlement on the American mainland and pre-Hispanic remains. It features impressive ruins. Moreover, older remains, dating to up to 1,000 years before the arrival of the Europeans, were excavated on this site.

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An Athens court has found 15 people guilty of involvement in a series of murders and robberies carried out by the Greek radical group November 17.

After a nine-month trial, leading members were found guilty on multiple charges relating to crimes dating back from June 2000 to December 1975.

Their victims included Greek and foreign figures, including UK defence attache Brigadier Stephen Saunders.

The convicted men are due to be sentenced on Wednesday.

Relatives of victims, prosecutors and the Greek Government welcomed the outcome of the country’s first terrorism trial.

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas, looking ahead to the 2004 Athens Olympics, said: “Terrorism received a decisive blow and of course Greece is now viewed throughout the world as one of the safest countries, something very significant especially in light of the Olympic Games.”

The road ahead is still long and, for us, this is a first stage. Our loved ones, of course, can’t come back Dora Bakoyiannis Athens mayor Analysis: Greek reaction

Heather Saunders, whose husband was shot dead as he drove to work in Athens in June 2000, said it was the verdict her family “had hoped for”.

“They killed 23 people,” she told the BBC. “But it is 23 widows, there’s
goodness knows how many children, how many parents; they will all carry this scar for the rest of their lives.”

Athens Mayor and Olympic Games host Dora Bakoyianni, whose parliamentarian
husband Pavlos Bakoyiannis was shot dead by the group in 1989, said: “Greek justice spoke today. Its decisions are respected by all.”

A 20-year statute of limitations in Greek law means that group members will not be sentenced for the first four killings by November 17 - including that of CIA station chief Richard Welch, whose 1975 assassination marked the group’s first appearance.

Sentences to follow

The man considered to be the group’s leader, Alexandros Giotopoulos, 59, was found guilty of membership of the group and of planning and authorising all their actions.

Giotopoulos, who denied links to the group, said: “The decision was expected. I was condemned from the start.”

Giotopoulos said the guilty verdict was ‘unfounded’

Dimitris Koufodinas, whom prosecutors argued was the group’s main hitman, was also found guilty of membership of the group.

The three judges, who heard the cases without a jury, took 90 minutes to read through hundreds of charges against the 18 men and one woman on trial.

Four of the accused, including the only female defendant, Angeliki Sotiropoulou, were acquitted for lack of evidence.

The ringleaders are expected to receive multiple life terms when they are sentenced on Wednesday.

The court had to reach a verdict within 18 months of the suspects’ detention in prison, and that deadline was due to run out in January.

There was no jury because terrorism charges were involved.

Breakthrough

Greek police made little progress in their search for the group until last year, when they caught one of the accused apparently trying to plant a bomb.

He informed police of the names and whereabouts of other November 17 members.

Within weeks, police made a series of dramatic arrests.
Giotopoulos, who was charged with direct involvement in 10 attacks, could face 19 life sentences for murder.

The BBC’s Tabitha Morgan in Athens says the Greek Government is keen to show the international community that Greece is capable of eliminating terrorist groups ahead of next summer’s Olympic Games in Athens.

It will also hope to make political capital out of the successful conclusion of the case ahead of general elections early next year.

November 17 took its name from the date of the crushing of a student uprising in 1973 during Greece’s 1967 to 1974 military rule. The radical leftists’ attacks were aimed at overthrowing capitalism and attacked US targets because of Washington’s support for the junta.

Brigadier Saunders’ murder was the last carried out by the group.

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Original article ‘News - Oil boom destroys Baku charm‘
The capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, is an historic city with many building dating back as far as the 12th century but some people fear the city’s unique charm and character is being destroyed by an unprecedented construction boom fuelled by oil exports.

The corner of Tolstoy Street in Gorky Alley used to be a ramshackle collection of wooden houses with tumbledown roofs and balconies overgrown with grapevines.

Today there is no sign of them - they have been torn down to make way for a hulking multi-storey office complex.

If it is designed like most of the other new buildings going up across the capital, it will have mirrored windows and an underground car park.

Modern intrusions

Baku’s skyline is changing - the last few years have seen millions of dollars poured into the country as western companies flock to invest in the lucrative oil and gas reserves in the Caspian Sea.

Demand for new housing and office space is growing, but many of the city’s residents are concerned that the tower blocks shooting up across Baku are destroying its charm.

Baroque-style mansions built by the Nobel brothers and the Rothschilds, who came to Baku a century ago to pioneer its oil industry, are now dwarfed by vast concrete and glass structures.

Fuad Akhundov is an amateur historian who takes guided tours around Baku’s walled city, which dates back to the 12th century.

He is one of many who are deeply dismayed by the recent building boom.

“It’s truly horrible because it seems that the city that was created by one oil boom at the end of the 19th, beginning of the 20th centuries is virtually being destroyed by the construction going on now, and frankly speaking this is not the city I would like to live in any longer,” he said.

Quake fears

Construction in Azerbaijan is governed by a strict code which is supposed to ensure that all new buildings are in keeping with Baku’s historical appearance, but these rules are being flouted.

Critics say unscrupulous construction companies and corrupt officials are to blame.

More worrying, is that Baku lies on a geological fault line and is due for an earthquake sometime soon.

With no proper building regulations, many fear the next tremor here could mean the phalanx of new buildings will simply come tumbling down.

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Iraqi journalists, including those working for the BBC Arabic Service, and some ordinary citizens have been emailing their impressions of the country’s landmark elections.

The BBC News website is publishing their daily despatches from all parts of Iraq.

Ahmad Saadawi
BBC Baghdad office, 28 January

I was sharing a taxi with some other people, when one of them started handing out CDs without any explanation. On leaving the taxi, he left some more CDs behind and asked the driver to hand them out to other passengers later in the day. I later discovered that they were essentially slogans and ads for a political group taking part in the election, interspersed with comic skits. Today, the streets of Baghdad feel empty. Some roads have been sealed off, and people are in a rush to finish their daily business and get home before 7 PM local time when a curfew is supposed to come into effect. In my neighbourhood, two families have moved out to another part of the city so that they can be right near polling station. I may have to spend the night in the office, in case getting to work becomes difficult tomorrow. Life is slowing down in Baghdad in anticipation of the big day.

Khalil Osman
BBC Arabic Service, with the British forces in Basra, 28 January

I arrived in Basra on board a British Royal Air Force aircraft. I will be embedded with British forces in the southern sector of Iraq. Officers from the Multi National Force told me that the see their role in the forthcoming elections as facilitators. They insist that the task of protecting polling stations is largely a matter for the Iraqi police. They will intervene and offer protection only when it is essential. Iraqi officials here strongly echo this, arguing that security is the responsibility of Iraqi security forces. Election banners, leaflets and posters are everywhere in Basra. You see them in places that are supposed to be off limit to electioneering such as universities and schools.

Zainab Ahmed Bilal
Karbala, 27 January

I started my day in the usual way - going to a petrol station. But by the time I got there, two lines of cars had already formed. A police officer approached my car and told us that the station had already run out of gasoline. My mother was with me and we decided to go the local market to pick up a few essentials in preparation for the extensive curfew that was due to come into effect for elections and which we were told was to last “until further notice”. The market was heaving with people who were stocking up on meat, bread, eggs etc. They too were getting ready for this curfew. We did our shopping and headed home, and another candle-lit evening without electricity.

Essam Ainachi
BBC Arabic Service, Basra, 27 January

As the days pass before elections, the situation has become more inflamed in this part of the country. People’s joy at the first democratic event here is tinged with caution and fear. This sense of uncertainty is being compounded by the very heavy presence of the security forces, the police and the National Guard in the city. Talking to some people in Basra, one hears much about the fear and indeed expectation of further acts of violence. Walking around the city, one sees many campaign posters. Some of them unfortunately have been disfigured. The curfew, which comes into force at 2200, is no longer such a nuisance since life comes almost to a stop in the city well before then.

Ahmad al-Saadawi
BBC Arabic Service, Baghdad, 27 January

The number of journalists waiting outside the conference centre here in Baghdad seems to be increasing every day, as the date for getting the necessary permits approaches. Elsewhere in this city, I have seen families out shopping in the well known al-Shurja market, buying mineral water, food etc. in preparation for any emergency or crisis that may happen in the days that immediately precede the elections. Walking in Baghdad, one can see some campaign posters removed or disfigured. I suspect that rival factions and political parties carry out these acts. Close to Jumhuriya bridge, I have seen youngsters tearing up posters for the prime minister’s political party. No-one can ignore the impact on voters of these posters and advertisements, and parties are doing their best to utilise this tool, especially in the last remaining days before the elections.

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An offer of leniency on tax owing on offshore accounts, income from buy-to-let properties and foreign holiday homes is being made by HM Revenue & Customs.

If people own up to unpaid tax by 22 June, the penalty will be far smaller than if they wait until an inquiry.

We asked for your comments, a selection of which are below. This debate is now closed.

Hiding money away by tax cheats means that law abiding taxpayers are left to pick up the shortfalls Dave, England

There has been much focus recently on benefit cheats. Tax evasion is an abuse long overdue for attention. Hiding money away by tax cheats means that law abiding taxpayers are left to pick up the shortfalls in some way or another.
Dave, England

I would doubt that the majority of offshore bank account holders have swindled the taxman. But those that have can expect lots of attention from the tax people and I support that. We all have to abide by the tax laws here, It’s the law.
Bob, London

Tax avoidance is always wrong. If everybody paid their tax perhaps the chancellor might be able to reduce the present levels of taxation.
Bob Robinson, Bolton

Whenever the Revenue introduces new schemes or claims to offer help and support for existing tax, it expects you to tell it what you propose and then fines you if it is incorrect, rather than making any scheme clear and helping you to get it right in the first place. We get charged a hefty fine and interest, but if the Revenue gets it wrong the interest refunded is considerably lower, and you never get an apology! No wonder the Revenue is disliked and distrusted. I am happy to pay the correct tax, but I hate being penalised if I get it wrong in all innocence.
Nicky Blanning, Cambridge

Re the European Union Savings Tax Directive, I suspect the Revenue won’t be able to go after those who opted for “retention of tax” even though they could potentially be getting away with 5% of their tax owed until July 2008. It will be the people who are getting away with the full 20% and whose names and addresses are supplied ultimately to HMRC that it can and should go after. It’s outrageous that people should be able to “hide” their money offshore. The Revenue is clamping down on these people by raising the rate for those who remain anonymous to 35% eventually. The mystery is why they are waiting so long? These evaders have been given six years warning and will no doubt find another loophole by then!
A Wright, Salisbury

Why should these people get away with defrauding the rest of us? Philip Louch, Maidstone

Why do people whinge when, despite your political views, tax enables society to function. Why should these people who squirrel away money in the vain hope of not paying their fair cut of what it costs to live in a democracy, get away with defrauding the rest of us? It’s about time they woke up to their responsibilities or perhaps they would prefer not to live here and benefit from what the rest of us are paying for?
Philip Louch, Maidstone

It is fine for the Revenue to ensure that everyone pays the correct tax. But when it gets it wrong it should do much more to compensate the victims. The interest rates it charges (7.5%) versus the interest it gives us (3%) is one example of how it is just not fair. After all it works for, and is paid for, by us. It is, in effect, accountable to us via the ballot box. It seems to me that the old civil service feelings of “we are better than you” still prevail.
N Spence, Benfleet

After having to ask for the age-related allowance this year age 64, and receiving a new code number, I find I have nearly 2,000 of unused free pay. The tax office informed me that I cannot set this against monthly interest on savings which is being taxed at source, but must wait until after the year end and then claim it back, without interest from them! I am a pensioner and need this money which is rightfully mine to supplement my poor pension. Is this fair? I don’t think so!
Mrs M Carter, Maidstone

We have a totally unfair and very biased system in the UK. It has to stop! Steve Harris, Gillingham

HMRC should without doubt be brought to task. It must be made to pay damages when it gets it wrong! My MP (John Prescott’s PPS) has campaigned tirelessly on my case, all HMRC does is wriggle and “fudge” answers to his questions. Then it sends you to the “independent” adjudicator for a fair and unbiased judgement. She works for, and is fully funded by HMRC. How can that be fair? She ignored new evidence that cleared my name.
We have a totally unfair and very biased system in the UK. It has to stop!

Steve Harris, Gillingham

Why will the Revenue not recognise agent representation? It will only deal with the taxpayer. Surely, this is against the principle of law and contrary to human rights not to allow a person to be represented.
Stewart, Manchester

In response to Stewart’s criticism - HMRC has always recognised agent representation. The taxpayer simply completes a form 64-8 authority and HMRC will be very happy to work with the taxpayer’s representative.
Paul Franklin

I have offshore accounts, live out of the UK but pay tax to the UK (my choice at the moment). I already pay a retention tax to the EU on the offshore accounts. I hope the UK doesn’t want its cut as well.
Terry Hutchings, Portugal

Why should it be a softly, softly approach on this issue? DL, Derby

Revenue & Customs should have been aware of this problem a long time ago. What mechanisms are in place to identify people with rental income and capital gains from selling second homes? I suspect none, and relying on the majority to declare voluntarily is naive to the point of incompetence. Buy-to-let landlords are forcing up prices by borrowing against their existing home to buy low-cost accommodation thereby causing a shortage and forcing would-be buyers to rent. Why should it be a softly, softly approach on this issue? It is tax evasion and should be pursued in the same way as any other non-payment of tax.
DL, Derby

In early March we sent in three claims for tax repayment for building society/bank interest payments. Two were returned because the refund was overpaid due to the wrong age-related tax allowance being applied and one was returned because the age-related marriage allowance was not applied. To date they have still not been resolved.
D Martin, Woking

I am a 65-year-old pensioner and supplement my pension by working part-time for marginally above the minimum wage at one of the big four supermarkets. I have just received a cheque from the Revenue because it assumed I had an income of 25,000+ as opposed to approx 9.5K, despite being advised constantly since I retired of my earnings and pension. As I regard myself as a minnow in the sea of tax, what chance has anyone else of paying the correct tax? Party in a brewery comes to mind. Not only that, my pension has been underpaid for almost five years. What are we paying these people for?
Mrs Mary O’Brien, Raunds

Is the Revenue playing ignorant about this tax that they already take from offshore accounts held by British residents? John Kelly, Luton

There have been several reports recently about the Revenue seeking back tax on offshore deposits but no one has mentioned the European Union Savings Tax Directive where in return for anonymity a blanket tax has been deducted from interest at 15% since July 2005. This will increase to 20% in July 2008 and 35% from July 2011. Is the Revenue playing ignorant about this tax that they already take from offshore accounts held by British residents?
John Kelly, Luton

The comments we publish are not necessarily the views of the BBC but will reflect the balance of views we have received. It is helpful if contributors state if they work for any organisation relevant to an issue discussed. Readers should form their own views on whether messages published represent undeclared interests, or views prompted by a common source.

Originaly from: News - Have Your Say: Tax clampdown
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The story this week about supporters of a new pro-vivisection campaign group provoked a forceful reaction from those on both sides of the debate. Here, as part of the Magazine’s readers’ column, Joanne Oliver, who opposes animal testing, explains how she always has to think twice when visiting her local supermarket.

I am against testing products on animals. I am also a vegetarian. But before you get a stereotypical image of a 40-something, single cat-owning, brogue and tweed-wearing scatterbrained woman “moaning on” about global warming, I can assure you that I am nothing like that.

I am in my late-30s and work as a legal assistant in the Cayman Islands, although Britain is my home. I do my demonstrating relatively quietly, through my lifestyle choice. Occasionally, when I feel stirred about an animal welfare issue I’ll fire off letters to politicians and companies involved.

But don’t get me wrong - some of my views would conflict wildly with those of others who share my animal-rights stance. I am pro-abortion, and, despite trying, I can’t go the extra mile to becoming a vegan.

The majority of products I buy have been animal tested - albeit years ago - so all I can do is make informed choices Joanne Oliver, Cayman Islands Passionate about something? Tell us and you could be next week’s columnist

In my late teens I became aware of the fact products we use in everyday life had been tested on animals. I began donating to charities and started finding out about the issues through groups such as the British Union of Anti-Vivisectionists and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

But I also read information from companies and medical research organisations and publications which argue a case FOR animal testing.

Thus, I receive balanced information and am able to make choices about the products I buy and the way I live.

Cleaning stuff, make-up and personal hygiene products that haven’t been tested on animals are readily available from ordinary supermarkets. Sainsbury’s even go one further and funds research into alternatives to animal testing.

The Co-Op supermarket has the most comprehensive labelling you will ever see, detailing ingredients and when they were last tested on animals.

Pro-test protesters

Of course, lots of ingredients have been historically tested on animals. I can’t rule these out but instead I rely on BUAV’s Little Blue Book of Cruelty Free - a guide to shops and products selling animal-friendly goods - which sets a cut-off point, whereby after so many years a product can label itself “not tested on animals”.

While diseases such as cancer and Aids continue to kill millions, we are not just justified in continuing with animal research, we have a moral responsibility to do so Pro-testing campaigner Iain Simpson The pro-test protesters

I know that the majority of products I buy have, at one time, been animal tested - albeit years ago. All I can do is the best that I can with the products available and make informed choices.

Another issue is medicine. If I have a headache, I go without pain-killers. I don’t usually suffer from aches and pains but seven years ago I was diagnosed with a prolactinoma (frontal-lobe pituitary gland tumour) and given medicine to take to shrink the tumour.

It had been tested on animals, so I went looking for an alternative. It’s hard to find authoritative information about these things but through exhaustive use of the internet I found one which, it seems, was tested on humans.

Here in the Cayman Islands it’s harder to find products not tested on animals than in the UK. But they are here. They just take a little bit of searching out. Getting good vegetarian food is the current problem I face!

At the end of the day, my conscience will dictate the choices I make. Some of the products I use in my car have ingredients that, if you look back far enough, will have been tested on animals. However, what I cannot live with is the knowledge that scientists in our supposedly more informed age, continue to test products on living creatures, causing them harm and suffering, whether it be for a cosmetic, a fertiliser or in the cause of medical advancement.

I’ve read several articles in medical journals written by high-profile scientists which support the use of other testing methods. Some of these called for a halt to animal testing and for companies to use original research and up-date it by testing on willing humans; or to use computer-based technology.

So the simple choice of “I will not use products which have been tested on animals” is a far more complex than it might seem. I’ll continue to think before I buy, and also strive to go that one step further, and become a vegan.

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