Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Petition to strip Richard Branson of his knighthood gets 13,000 signatures

Petition to strip Richard Branson of his knighthood gets 13,000 signatures

'You can't beg for the UK to pour money to bailout a half-American company when you're sitting on an island wherever you are not paying tax.'
A petition signed by more than 13,000 people calls the business magnate a ‘disgrace to his country’ for asking the UK Government for a £500 million bailout for Virgin Atlantic despite reportedly not paying income tax for 14 years.

Sir Richard came under fire last month after Virgin Atlantic staff were asked to take eight weeks unpaid leave as the airline industry was thrown into chaos due to the coronavirus pandemic. However the airline’s founder has offered his £80 million luxury Caribbean private island as collateral to save the company, 49% of which is owned by US airline Delta. The petition’s founder told Metro.co.uk: ‘What he’s doing is wrong. You can’t beg for the UK to pour money to bailout a half-American company when you’re sitting on an island wherever you are not paying tax.’

The page also criticises Virgin Care for suing the NHS for an undisclosed amount in 2017 over a dispute over the procurement process for contracts. The petition’s creator, from Nottingham, said getting so many signatures in the space of a week shows how angry many people are about Sir Richard’s record.

He added: ‘You’re not going to get him stripped of his knighthood but this is how people are feeling, it’s just the level of resentment.’ The 26-year-old activist, who has asked not to be named, shared the petition on his new social media network called Dunya Stays Mad – (Dunya being an Arabic word for world) – on which he plans to promote more campaigns in the future.

In November 2017 the NHS paid an undisclosed settlement to Sir Richard’s Virgin Care after the company sued six Surrey clinical commissioning groups NHS England and Surrey County Council after the three-year £82 million healthcare deal was awarded to a group of in-house NHS providers and a social enterprise. At the time the Labour Party said it was ‘scandalous’ that the NHS was forced to face legal action from Virgin Care and called for the Department of Health to disclose further details on the settlement.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×