BrianH
At the Start
A row is developing over a leaked memo to all staff at the US embassy instructing them not to pay the London traffic congestion charge. With penalties the debt incurred so far since the memo went out in July is £150,000. The German embassy and those of 24 African nations have taken the attitude "what's good enough for the Americans is good enough for us" and have now followed suit, thiough Liberia, one of the worlds poorest nations, has said that its ambassador, diplomats and staff will pay the charge as it is the law.
Mayor Ken Livingstone is happy to take on the US embassy and has pointed out to officials there that British diplomats and their staff pay all road tolls that are due in the US. The reponse he got was that they are a different matter as they are tolls and Livingstone's congestion charge is a tax. Under the Vienna convention of 1961, says the embassy spokesman, all direct taxes on diplomats and diplomatic operations, including this one, are prohibited.
The bit about "including this one" I doubt, as it was unforeseeable for sure.
Mr Tony is keeping well out of it but my guess is that in the end the courts will decide.
Mayor Ken Livingstone is happy to take on the US embassy and has pointed out to officials there that British diplomats and their staff pay all road tolls that are due in the US. The reponse he got was that they are a different matter as they are tolls and Livingstone's congestion charge is a tax. Under the Vienna convention of 1961, says the embassy spokesman, all direct taxes on diplomats and diplomatic operations, including this one, are prohibited.
The bit about "including this one" I doubt, as it was unforeseeable for sure.
Mr Tony is keeping well out of it but my guess is that in the end the courts will decide.
