Alex Barnes-Ross has become scientology’s Public Enemy #1 in the UK. He is doing incredible work to expose scientology’s abuses and is now to bringing the appropriate agencies into play to do something about it.
This is the latest article on his Scientology Business website that I am reprinting below in full.
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The Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs, the UK’s tax office, has responded to former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott’s request for an investigation into the Church of Scientology’s finances after she cited concerns over their “history of fraudulent activity internationally”.
The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, who has been in Parliament since 1987, wrote to HMRC in January after Scientology Business Editor Alexander Barnes-Ross contacted her with concerns about Scientology’s activities in the UK. Referencing a 2023 tax ruling in which Scientology chapels were granted partial relief from Business Rates tax, she said in her response “I have written to HMRC, who brought the case against the Church of Scientology for ruling that their “chapel” was a place of worship, urging them to look again at options to appeal this decision and also to more broadly investigate the churches finances for fraudulent activity.”
“We have a duty to maintain confidentiality to all the information we hold about people and organisations. This means that we cannot disclose information about a particular case, including any steps we may take based on information we have received” he wrote. “We assess all the information we receive, and then decide on the most appropriate course of action to take.”
It is understandable that he was unable to confirm whether any action is being taken in response to Abbott’s letter, however Harra did demonstrate knowledge of last year’s lawsuit, writing “On 5 January 2023, the Upper Tribunal published its decision on the Church of Scientology’s claim for partial exemption from non-domestic rating on premises which it occupies at 146 Queen Victoria Street, London. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) decided not to appeal the decision and is now out of time to do so.”
He concluded the letter with the contact details for who to contact with regard to concerns about the ruling “or evidence that the Church of Scientology services are [not] open to the public”.
The letter demonstrates the significance of Diane Abbott’s support in the bid to raise awareness about Scientology’s activities in the UK. HMRC did not respond with a blanket, nondescript auto-reply but instead caught the attention of the CEO who personally responded and cited the 2023 court case. This means it’s on her radar – thanks to the weight her support provides.
Abbott was the first black female to be elected to Parliament and has held several senior positions both in government and the Shadow Cabinet. In 2017, an Amnesty International report found she receives ten times more abuse than any other MP and that half of all abusive tweets directed at female MPs were targeted towards her. We couldn’t think of a better prepared politician when it comes to dealing with Scientology’s ‘Fair Game’ tactics.
Last month, actress Leah Remini released a statement applauding Abbott’s support, writing on The Underground Bunker “The fact that Alex has an MP who is not shying away from seeking the truth is an accomplishment in itself. I support him, and I thank him — and Ms. Abbott — for asking the UK’s equivalent of the IRS to open a real investigation of Scientology.”
“If they are not thwarted by Scientology’s usual evasive tactics, they will be successful in exposing this business-for-profit masquerading as a religion around the globe.”
After contacting HMRC’s press department for comment, a spokesperson told us: “We neither confirm nor deny investigations and cannot comment on identifiable individuals or businesses.”
You can read Harra’s response to Diane Abbott in full below.
The Scn tree has been shaken and lots of former members have fallen out thanks to the work of everyone and the Aftermath foundation but now the hardcore devotees remain and as hard as we shake they are holding on tight. Do we need to consider a change in tact for these people to chip away at their foundations and sow those seeds of doubt. What more can we do to help these people and to show them that life outside of the Scn bubble is not all doom and gloom. As many people have said we should not blame them but support and encourage them to see a Scn for what it is as opposed to what it claims to be.
I’ll bet Miscavige secretly loves this turn of events in England. He has no workable Tech to offer. The best Scientology an offer to help “clear the planet” is a month getting parboiled in a sauna while overdosing on Niacin. Mothers learned long ago to stay far, far away from Hubbard’s infamous Baby Formula, a near-poison known to stunt the growth of infants everywhere. People are tired of trying to wash windshields with the ever-dwindling supply of newsprint – and only getting blackened fingers.
But an enemy of Scientology is a prescious commodity, one that will drive fund raising far and wide.
If this investigation would be truly carried out, it would open up a chasm that would lead, like a domino effect, to others European states doing the same like Germany, Belgium, France, etc. The consequences would be disastrous, as it would soon end up in the European Parliament. It seems like someone needs a helmet with all these roof tiles continuously falling on his head without stopping.
‘Pay to play’ for auditing services isn’t exactly, “open to the public”. Those sham ‘Sunday Services’ are exactly that, a sham held only when needed for PR purposes. Like our Supreme Court said in Hernandez v. Commissioner, 490 U.S. 680 (1989), $cientology is a quid pro quo business, not deserving of a tax exemption. That the IRS caved to $cientology pressure and ignored this decision is a shame on them.
Tic fucking toc, you cancerous little gnome. Feel the walls getting closer yet?
The Demented Maggot must be feeling even more desperation than usual with what Alex & co. are doing in the UK, probably the last “stronghold” for the Kult outside of the US.
Maybe His latest round of opening Idle Morgues is His Retirement Tour – you know, “Last Chance to See and Hear One of the All-Time Great Acts on Stage before He takes His Final Curtain Call.”
There’s nothing much happening here in Straya any more, despite the fleeting bursts of promo for non-existent “Expansion Success” Seems like that pretty much around the globe these days.
$cientology is sinking into deserved total irrelevance. Thanks to all of those who are helping it into extinction. Makes my Sunday morning look sooooo much brighter.
It’s true. In many orgs, they have also started recruiting and counting tumbleweeds passing by as ‘First starts’.
Alex is tenacious – he found his purpose and is dedicated in his fight. One strong step at a time! Kudos to Alex and all that are helping!