In his first budget, earlier today, George Osborne, in one throwaway line, dashed the hopes of our vibrant computer games and interactive media industries in Dundee by withdrawing from honouring the previous Labour Government's commitment to introduce tax relief for the UK games industry which had been strongly advocated by Jim McGovern MP Dundee West.The Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Conservative/Liberal Democrat UK government said,
"So, Mr Deputy Speaker, we will not go ahead with the poorly-targeted tax relief for the video games industry." (Budget Speech Tuesday 22 June 2010)
Earlier this year, Professor Lachlan MacKinnon, in an open lecture in the city, argued that computer games and interactive media were serious business in Dundee. In fact our city is currently home to 12 of Scotland’s biggest games developers and the University of Abertay, Dundee, is a recognised world-leader in the field of computer games and interactive media. Dundee is potentially well positioned to play a leading global role in this booming industry but only if the right conditions can be maintained in the context of international competition. Tax breaks offered in countries elsewhere, such as Ireland, may lure successful companies away from Dundee, which currently employs 3,000 people in this sector.