This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
And Finally
Bono addresses criticism of U2’s tax set up
By Andy Malt | Published on Tuesday 24 September 2013
Bono has addressed the longrunning criticism of U2’s offshore tax set up, which many see as being at odds with the singer’s outspoken views on tackling poverty.
In an interview for The Observer, journalist Tim Adams asked Bono, “Was it not hypocrisy for you to try to hold the Irish government to account for its spending while going through fairly exhaustive efforts to avoid paying into the Irish exchequer yourself?”
The singer responded: “It is not an intellectually rigorous position unless you understand that at the heart of the Irish economy has always been the philosophy of tax competitiveness. Tax competitiveness has taken our country out of poverty. People in the revenue accept that if you engage in that policy then some people are going to go out, and some people are coming in. It has been a successful policy. On the cranky left that is very annoying, I can see that. But tax competitiveness is why Ireland has stayed afloat. When the Germans tried to impose a different tax regime on the country in exchange for a bailout, the Taoiseach [head of the Irish government Enda Kenny] said they would rather not have the bailout. So U2 is in total harmony with our government’s philosophy”.
And just in case you still think that doesn’t quite stand up, he added: “I think for many reasons people have taken a dislike to our band, and to me this is another one. I have worked as an activist for all my adult life, and I think overall that no one can doubt we have been pretty effective. You can criticise me for a lot of things, but probably not for my commitment of time and energy to this. I think some of the people who criticise us in Ireland and America have a history that you can trace back to our opposition to Noraid. A lot of the others probably hate our music. And a lot of other people probably have a point”.
Read the full interview here.
