Vodafone meeting hit by UK Uncut protest

Vodafone's annual meeting kicked off on Tuesday with a protest over its tax payments. Demonstrators from UK Uncut, formed last year to highlight corporate tax issues, accused the company of a £6bn "tax dodge", which Vodafone denies. UK Uncut has organised hundreds of sit-ins at Vodafone shops around the country. Speaking before the meeting, UK Uncut member Steve Taylor said: "It's totally unacceptable for corporations to be let off multimillion pound tax bills at a time when we are facing the harshest austerity package the UK has seen for decades." A Vodafone spokesman said: "We pay all of our taxes that are due in all countries in which we operate and the tax office have called the figure UK Uncut are putting out an 'urban myth'."