Jersey's Geoff Cook - still awaiting a response

Geoff Cook heads Jersey Finance, an organisation which promotes Jersey as a tax haven. Two weeks ago he publicly attacked TJN's Financial Secrecy Index in Jersey's Evening Post, describing the index as "nonsensical" and "contrived propaganda". In reply we invited Cook to give us a slightly more reasoned critique of our work. We have not had a response.

Cook's failure to reply fits a pattern. Proponents of tax havens are quick to vilify any critique of the role these places have in the global economy, but when we invite them to explain - in simple terms - the basis of their arguments, they go silent. And the reason they go silent is straightforward: they have no reply, only propaganda. The easiest approach is often to attack the messenger, not the message.

TJN has regularly invited Jersey's political and financial rulers to engage with us in public debate: they have never accepted. Interestingly, the same occurs in London (Jersey's big daddy), where a number of lawyers, bankers and others in the City have refused to publicly debate with us.

Plutocrats and their butlers don't do democratic accountability.

We repeat: we challenge Cook (or anyone else in the Jersey establishment) to a public debate, to be broadcast in Jersey and elsewhere.