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Author: Alexander Barnes-Ross
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An Open Letter to Nigel Farage
Politician Nigel Farage recently hit the UK headlines after his bank account was unexpectedly closed by Coutts, a private bank owned by Natwest. Dubbed the ‘debanking scandal’, he was considered too controversial to have as a customer and the bank decided its reputation could be at risk. The scandal led to the resignations of Coutts…
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Profile: Peter Hodkin, Scientology UK Lawyer
Integral to Scientology’s recent legal victories in the United Kingdom is solicitor Peter Hodkin. A lifelong Scientologist, his law firm Hodkin & Company have represented the Church of Scientology for decades. Hodkin plays a vital role in Scientology’s campaign for religious recognition, acting as the driving force behind its legal battles for tax exemption. In…
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Why UK Tax Exemption is so Important for Scientology
Since being rejected by the Charity Commission in 1999, Scientology has been required to pay taxes on its activities in the UK. This includes business rates on its properties, VAT (sales tax) and corporation tax, which is currently set at 25% of annual profits. As things stand, Scientology operates through an organisation named COSRECI, which…
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What the 2023 UK Court Ruling Means for Scientology
In 2013, the Church of Scientology won a landmark case in the UK’s Supreme Court and was authorised to conduct marriages at it’s London Org building at 146 Queen Victoria Street. The ruling redefined religion in British law and gave Scientology the freedom to conduct religious ceremonies at it’s UK premises, despite not being recognised…
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Leah Remini’s ‘Scientology & the Aftermath’ Triggered a Mass Exodus of staff leaving the Church
When actress Leah Remini teamed up with former Scientology executive Mike Rinder, the world knew something big was about to happen. Their show, ‘Scientology and the Aftermath‘ featured the heartbreaking stories of former Church followers and shone a light on the abuse, trauma and pain it causes its parishioners. It went on to win an…
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Abandoned: Inside the Manchester building Scientology has left empty for 16 years
16 years after Scientology’s purchase of the Duckworth’s Distillery building in Manchester, it sits empty and vacant and facing compulsory purchase by the council.
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Drone captures 4k footage of Scientology’s UK headquarters at Saint Hill
A drone has conducted a flyby over Saint Hill, capturing the Scientology base from never-before-seen angles in 4k video. Once the home of L. Ron Hubbard, Saint Hill is a sprawling estate near East Grinstead, Sussex and remains the headquarters of the Church’s UK activities. The base is the home of senior Scientology management with…
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Scientology Requested a Formal Apology from the UK Government
In a recently resurfaced article citing declassified documents held by the National Archives, it was revealed that Scientology was placed under covert surveillance.
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Irish Newspaper Apologises to Scientology
Last month, in what is possibly the best public apology ever made to Scientology, Irish satirical news media firm WWN released a statement following a legal threat from the Church’s public relations officer Karin Pouw. When Waterford Whispers News was accused of hate speech by the Church of Scientology, it promised to issue a formal…
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Scientology’s $100 million DEBT Problem
Recent financial filings with the Australian Charities & Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) paint a worrying financial picture for Scientology’s UK operations. Operating through an Australian-registered entity known as COSRECI (Church of Scientology Religious Education College, Inc), Scientology are required to file annual accounts that detail where its money comes from and – crucially – where it…
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