The Sherwood Echo: Friday 5th March
March 5th, 2010 by Maid Marian
Posted in: Action & Events, Action reports, Latest, The Sherwood Echo
It’s been another action-packed week here in the Forest. Robin and his band have been in a cheery mood – the sun is shining and there have been people blowing their horns in support of a Robin Hood Tax all over the world, from leafy-green Sherwood to the Australian outback. Read on for a round up of what the merry folk have been up to.
Sherwood News
The media has been buzzing with reports of mischief in the glen, with pieces outlining the benefits of the tax appearing in The Times, The Times Online, The Plymouth Herald, the BBC’s Newsnight blog and Australian newspaper The Brisbane Times. This week, the Robin Hood Tax Campaign has been focusing on what poverty looks like in Britain and why we need Robin to make a change. With all this talk of cuts and deficits, it’s time to talk about the revenue which this tax could raise, and the needs of people in the UK living in poverty.
Robin has been collecting support for his mission from all over the world, and US Civil rights campaigner Jesse Jackson and the Japanese Foreign Minister have announced that they are joining the band of merry supporters and throwing their weight behind a Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions. Europe is keen to go Lincoln green as well, with MEPs calling for the EU Member States to adopt the tax, and Belgian Minister Charles Michel saying that he will promote a financial transaction tax under the Belgian Presidency of the EU later this year.
Robin rides into Parliament
Westminster has been doing its fair share of merry making this week. An estimated 17% of MPs are now in favour of the tax, and more politicians are coming out in support of Robin all the time. This week, Edinburgh MP John Barrett and Lib Dem Candidate Nick Radford were among those who decided to join us in the Forest, and there has been a Liberal Democrat discussion in the House of Commons on the tax. For those who aren’t yet ready to get merry, here is an excellent article outlining the arguments and counter-arguments.
You’ve already had an amazing impact on the politicians, and we need you to keep up the pressure! After the huge success of last week’s Parliamentary action, MPs have asked the Speaker of the House of Commons to hold a debate on the Robin Hood Tax next Wednesday 10th March. We need to remind the Westminster that the public wants this tax, so get your longbows at the ready and fire an arrow at your MP asking them to put on a pair of tights and sign the Robin Hood Tax early day motion.
Get merry!
If you’re eager for more ways to get merry and need some inspiration, have a look at this video made by supporters from Twickenham. There’s an event next week on 9th March at the RSA, where economist Jeffrey Sachs, director Richard Curtis and actor Bill Nighy will lead a discussion panel on the Robin Hood Tax. If you can’t attend, watch it live on video stream, or have a look at the events on the Facebook page to see what else you can get involved in. There are already actions taking place in Liverpool and Edinburgh, so get your green thinking caps on and start spreading the word!
