AstraZeneca boss says company chose Ireland over Britain based on tax rate         

Chief executive Pascal Soriot also pointed to Ireland’s commitment to rapidly delivering green energy over the next few years as another reason why this country was more attractive for the Cambridge-based drug maker

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said UK tax rate 'was discouraging'.

AstraZeneca said it chose Ireland for a new manufacturing facility instead of Britain because of punitive tax rates.

The British-based drugmaker initially wanted to make a recent €335m investment in the UK, but “the tax rate was discouraging”, chief executive Pascal Soriot said in a briefing with journalists.