Miliband calls for Tax transparency on Scandinavian trip – Media and blog round up: February 19th 2013

“A Labour government would force companies operating in the U.K. to set out clearly how much tax they’re paying on what income, said the opposition party’s leader, Ed Miliband. Miliband, currently touring Scandinavian capitals to strengthen links with European social democratic parties, said he wants to learn from the Danish and Swedish experience of increasing corporate tax transparency. He cited transfer pricing, under which company units in different countries can set the prices of products and services they buy from each other so as to minimize tax liability, as a particular area of abuse.” – Bloomberg

“After his meeting with Ms Thorning-Schmidt, over Danish pastries in Copenhagen, Mr Miliband said Europe should be reformed “now”, rather than waiting for “years” under David Cameron’s timetable for a referendum in 2017. “What is the negotiating strategy of David Cameron over the next four years?” Miliband told reporters after talks with Ms Thorning-Schmidt. “My view is let’s make changes in Europe now.” – Telegraph

“Labour-inspired proposals on media law would curb the free Press in a way ‘never seen in any democratic country’, a senior peer warned last night.

Eminent QC Lord Lester said controversial amendments to the Defamation Bill pushed through with Labour support this month would damage free speech and break European human rights laws if they were allowed to stand. He accused Labour of ‘hijacking’ the legislation in an attempt to force the Government to implement Lord Justice Leveson’s plans for regulation of the Press in the wake of the phone hacking scandal.” – Daily Mail