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Bank taxes could save poor countries from financial disaster
Last week the news was dominated by stories of recovery and the banks celebrating their return to profit. Whilst green shoots, however sparse, may be visible in many rich economies, across large parts of the developing world the world’s worst economic recession in 80 years appears to be showing a lag effect – the first wave of impacts have already hit, but further waves are likely to break over poor countries during the course of 2010.
This week… More >>
CHOOSE ANOTHER WAY – CHOOSE TAXING THE BANKS >>
Add your name to show that you support taxing the banks to make Britain a fairer place. We need a debate that includes all the solutions, so tell us what do we need to protect, to fund, to fight for.
We’ll pull your ideas together into a report at theend of August. We’ll take it to the heart of government and you can use it to pressure your own MP. By putting our ideas together, we can make them stronger.
We’re serious. We want to… More >>
In twenty four hours we have collected over 1,400 voices and ideas. If we continue at this rate we should have more ideas than the Government’s ‘Spending Challenge’. The depth of thought, feeling and passion in the comments have overwhelmed us all down in Sherwood. If anyone needed confirmation that we have so much to fight for, to protect and that we hold dear it is here. We will be working our hardest to make Government sits up and listens to all your ideas.
The most… More >>
At the XVIII International Aids Conference in Vienna, the UN Special Envoy for Innovative Finance called on world leaders to ‘back the banker’s tax’ – referring to the IMF’s recommendation to create new taxes on banks – and to ‘fill the gap ‘, referring to the 70% gap in people accessing lifesaving medicines.
The Alliance welcomes this latest support. The Alliance, along with 100 other organisations, have been campaigning to ensure increased financing for development, and health and HIV in particular, through a levy on currency transactions.
Yesterday,… More >>
The Robin Hood Tax continues to gather momentum in UK politics as pressure for a fair, ambitious bank tax grows.
City Minister: Now is the time for banks collectively to restore their reputation
On Monday, Mark Hoban, City Minister gave his strongest hint yet that banks could be hit with a financial activities tax on profits and pay of the kind recently suggested by the IMF. Although no final decisions have been agreed the encouraging news is that there is a Treasury team working on the details of how… More >>
Following the Budget announcement and the G20 in Canada, the Robin Hood Tax is being talked about in the UK and all over the world.
Before the Coalition Government’s Emergency Budget, we asked supporters to help us buy all the advertising space we could in Westminster Tube station. Our message to the Chancellor was simple: tax the banks, not the people.
Over the weekend, Finance Ministers from 20 of the world’s biggest economies are meeting to discuss the global financial system. Robin has been able to make his way from Sherwood to Toronto to keep us informed of developments.
In four short months this campaign has helped put a tax on banks to the top of the political agenda. In the budget the new Government missed an opportunity to prove their commitment to fairness by introducing a budget that hurt, not helped the UK public.
The Chancellor called today’s budget ‘unavoidable’ – but it’s the banks that have avoided paying the price of the global recession they helped create. Instead, the poorest have picked up the bill.
The Chancellor has hiked VAT to 20%… More >>
Ahead of tomorrow’s Emergency Budget, the Robin Hood Tax Campaign has called on George Osborne to include a tax on the financial sector that could help prevent some of the cuts in public spending that will have the most impact on the poor and vulnerable.
On Saturday, the Guardian published a letter in support of the Robin Hood Tax signed by 35 top economists, including Stephany Griffith-Jones.
In the lead-up to the UK Budget and G20 Summit, supporters of a Robin Hood Tax are making their voices heard across the globe.
UNISON, the UK’s leading public services trade union, showed their support for a Robin Hood Tax, with more than 2000 public service workers voting to support the campaign.
A new report by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) has found that a Tobin Tax on financial transactions is feasible and could make a significant contribution to revenue without causing major distortions. The draft report on the evidence surrounding Financial Transaction Taxes (FTTs) states that “contrary to our initial instincts”, such taxes “may not be such a bad idea after all”.
In the UK and abroad people have been asking their Government to introduce a tax on the banks, not the people. Check out our new e-action and ask the Chancellor for a Robin Hood Budget.
Brilliant film competition, open to everybody, win a masterclass with film legend Richard Curtis and a top spot on You Tube
A financial transaction tax is being discussed in both the UK and Europe. There’s also a new film competition to get people all over the world talking about the Robin Hood Tax.
Support for a financial transaction tax is growing in Europe, while campaigners in the UK are continuing to demand that the new Coalition Government introduce a Robin Hood Tax.
Supporters across the globe have been urging world leaders to introduce a Robin Hood Tax, while campaigners in Europe have seen a political shift towards a tax on financial transactions.
7 Countries. 3 Continents. Thousands of people. Two horses. ‘Make Finance Pay’ week is here. Last week 3,000 of you said ‘yes’ and joined a global week of action asking for the financial sector to start taking responsibility for the financial crisis.
Now that the negotiations are over, the new Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government will immediately be presented with its most urgent and pressing task; finding ways to tackle the deficit while reducing poverty and protecting public services in the UK and beyond.
With a new government in power, we need to step up the pressure and make sure that the UK leads the way on introducing a tax to help the world’s poorest people.
In the week before the election supporters made a final push towards spreading the word about the Robin Hood Tax.
Can Robin Hood save the World’s Poorest? – that was the question posed on Tuesday night at an event hosted by UNICEF UK and Bright Blue. Robin Hood of course refers not to a swashbuckling Kevin Costner or Russell Crowe but instead to the Robin Hood Tax.
Last week, the Robin Hood Tax campaign gave its response to the IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report, asking G20 Finance Ministers to recognise the need for a bank tax which raises hundreds of billions of dollars to help poor countries and meet the true cost of the economic crisis. We weren’t the only ones blogging on what the IMF had to say about a financial transaction tax.
By failing to commit to a Robin Hood Tax, all three main party leaders missed an opportunity in last night’s leaders’ debate to demonstrate a commitment to ending poverty both in the UK and around the world.
With less than a week left to go before the election, it’s the last chance to make sure the three party leaders hear what we have to say about the Robin Hood Tax.
All three party leaders have refused to rule out a VAT rise. This will hit the UK’s poorest hard. We believe there is an alternative…
A Robin Hood Tax on banks is backed by more than half of voters in marginal seats, according to a national poll by Ipsos Mori published today.
A group of young Robin Hood supporters decided to head to the heart of Sherwood Forest last weekend in full Robin Hood fancy dress, determined to make voices heard on the case for a Robin Hood Tax
A number of British celebrities have written a letter to the editor of the Times today, urging UK politicians to remember ordinary people when taxing the banks.
With only two weeks left until the election, it’s time to find out what the main parties think about the Robin Hood Tax and get the word out to voters and politicians.
G20 Finance Ministers meeting in Washington today must recognise the need for a tax on banks that raises hundreds of billions of dollars to help poor countries and meet the true cost of the economic crisis, says the Robin Hood Tax campaign.
The proposed IMF (International Monetary Fund) tax is a major step forward – however these taxes need to raise billions a year and that money must be used to fight poverty and climate change. Only then will it become a true Robin Hood Tax.
This Thursday (15 April), on the day that the first of the party leaders’ television debates takes place, Mutate Britain – an East London-based arts movement – unveiled a giant piece of street art challenging Gordon Brown and David Cameron to support the Robin Hood Tax campaign.
Street artist Dr D is highlighting the Robin Hood Tax campaign’s call that all the main political parties should support the introduction of a financial transactions tax on the banks.
As the election campaign heats up, Dr D – an… More >>
Church Action on Poverty, other Christian agencies and church leaders are disappointed that none of the political party manifestos includes a clear commitment to introducing a Robin Hood Tax in the UK. They believe there is a moral imperative for the UK to take the lead, with or without the support of other countries, because it is the right thing to do in the wake of the global financial crisis.
The Green Party has listened to the hundreds of thousands of Robin Hood Tax supporters in the UK by backing a levy on financial transactions in their election manifesto.
Robin Hood and his Merry Men and Women came out in force once again today to do battle with the bankers.
The main UK parties have now outlined their opinion on a bank levy in their election manifestos. Now it’s time to keep up the pressure and make sure that the Robin Hood Tax remains an election issue.
Robin Hood delivered for the world’s poor today thanks to the Liberal Democrats support, in their manifesto, for a Robin Hood Tax.
Today the party announced it is committed to working with other countries to raise money to tackle global poverty through a financial transaction tax. They also, like the other main parties, support a levy on the banks in the UK.
This is a really important first step for the Lib Dems BUT we do hope that their promise to… More >>
‘We’re all in it together’ says the Conservative party manifesto – David Cameron today outlined his party’s blueprint for government should his party win the genereal election on May 6th.
But unfortunately like Labour, the Conservatives have not been ambitious enough in tackling the banks. We definitely welcome the party’s commitment to putting a levy on the banks – and to going it alone if necessary. We’re particularly pleased that the Conservatives have recognised that they don’t have to wait for the rest of the world… More >>
The Labour manifesto missed a golden opportunity to show global leadership with its plans for a tax on banks.
With the election date now set, the Robin Hood Tax is being discussed as a vote-winner in the media. This Saturday will see a band of Robin Hoods making even more noise about the campaign.
Today, April 7, is World Health Day. Progress made in health and in combating HIV/AIDS across Africa is at risk of unravelling as a result of the financial crisis. The Robin Hood Tax could help to reverse this worrying trend by raising money from those responsible for the economic situation.
Be a Robin Hoodie. Sir Ben Kingsley, Noel Clarke (Kidulthood, Dr Who), Tom Felton (Harry Potter) Joe Dempsie (Skins), Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners) and Jaime Winstone (Kidulthood) star in new campaign film for the Robin Hood Tax.
Watch it now >>
Video will be available as a downloadable file soon.
The campaign has been making progress all over the world this week. There’s also been an exciting development for the UK campaign.
The $100bn by 2020 pledged to fight climate change by world leaders in Copenhagen could be met with the Robin Hood Tax.
Renowned Australian philosopher and ethicist Professor Peter Singer, international banking expert Professor Ross Buckley, political satirist Julian Morrow and Reverend Tim Costello have come together to support Australia’s involvement in the worldwide Robin Hood Tax initiative.
To find out more visit the Robin Hood Tax for Australia website >>
First published in The Guardian, March 27th, 2010 >>
Alistair’s Last Stand has been hailed as the Robin Hood budget – but was it really? The recession has made poverty worse both in the UK and abroad. The threat of global warming becomes more urgent each day. This is why an unprecedented coalition of development agencies, anti-poverty groups, environmental organisations, faith bodies and trade unions have come together to argue for a Robin Hood tax, and won the support of more than 100,000 grassroots campaigners throughout… More >>
Support for the Robin Hood campaign is growing internationally, although he appears in many disguises! Campaigns have been running in Germany and other European countries for some months.
Robin has been popping up all over the world this week to spread the word about his tax. He’s also been joined in the Forest by some new recruits to the merry fold.
Yesterday, Robin Hood and his Merry Band left the Sherwood forest to descend upon Brussels. We were there to send a message to the leaders of Europe as they gathered to discuss jobs, growth and climate change at the EU Heads of State Summit.
4 million children live in poverty in today’s Britain. The Robin Hood Tax could help end this national disgrace.
The Chancellor today took the side of the Sheriff of Nottingham, letting down the 150,000 people in Britain who support a Robin Hood Tax.
The Robin Hood Tax could do good from Sheffield to Sierra Leone
On March 24th Alistair Darling presented his last Budget before the General Election.
He had the opportunity to start the Robin Hood Tax with a new stamp duty on sterling transactions.
The money raised could have been used to help end poverty in the UK and overseas and kickstarted international agreement for a more ambitious financial transaction tax.
That’s what we are here to fight for.
Why is this money so important? Check out the photo gallery below… More >>
Pong was one of the very first video games. It was interesting for a while but painfully repetitive. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…
It’s a bit like the political response to introducing a Robin Hood Tax. This unrelenting batting between unilateral action and international agreement, insurance versus social good. The good news is that we have all the ingredients we need for success. The bad news: no-one seems willing to show the leadership necessary to make it happen.
We are not interested in party politics or scoring… More >>
Robin Hood has been back to Westminster to deliver a very special Budget to the three main political parties.
A host of celebrities have joined the growing number of people calling for a Robin Hood Tax to help millions of poor people abroad and in the UK.
I responded to BBC Five Live presenter, Victoria Derbyshire’s post on her facebook wall at about half eight this morning:
“Today: a parent, a business owner, a banker and you – what do you want to hear in the budget?”
For context please see: BBC News: Tory leader David Cameron details plan for bank tax
The political argument has shifted decisively today, the myth that Britain can’t act alone to tax banks has been exposed for what it is. The Conservatives proposal for a unilateral tax on banks has shown that Britain can go alone.
In focussing on bank bailouts however, the proposal has missed the mark. The amounts raised will not be enough to deal with the huge social costs of the financial crisis. The banks… More >>
If the Chancellor’s Budget included a Currency Transaction Levy across Sterling, a necessary first step towards an international Robin Hood Tax, this is some of what the Chancellor could announce as a result.
The campaign is growing. This week politicians, students, economists, and the Archbishop of Canterbury have all come out in support of the campaign.
We’ve already talked about what poverty looks like in the UK. But, you may well ask, don’t we have benefits, welfare and social security, in short, a safety net, which tackles that very problem? Allow me to point you to 13.5 million people who might well query how effective that safety net really is.
There was more high-powered debate on the Robin Hood Tax this morning, as representatives from each of the main political parties joined a panel discussion on how a financial transaction tax could help finance international aid. Representatives from all three parties were joined by David Hillman from Stamp Out Poverty who asked them to “choose between being the Sheriff of Nottingham or Robin Hood.”
Many supporters have asked what do the bankers think of the Robin Hood tax? On Sunday, Graham Allen, MP for Nottingham North finally got a chance to ask that question to the British Bankers Association.
On Wednesday, Graham Allen championed the Robin Hood Tax in parliament. On Sunday, Allen took the discussion to Angela Knight, the Chief Executive of the British Bankers Association in a televised debate on the BBC East Midlands Politics Show. Angela Knight stepped into the role played by Bill Nighy in the… More >>
Today’s Sunday Times carries an inspiring article by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and Richard Curtis.
Polly Toynbee writes powerfully in today’s Guardian newspaper about why the time is right for a Robin Hood Tax.
My my, the merry folk of Sherwood have been busy this week. What with making the media merry, organising events and keeping tabs on parliamentary debates in the UK and Europe, Robin will enjoy his Friday-night cup of mead this evening.
On Wednesday 10th March, Graham Allen MP (Nottingham North), secured a debate this week on the Robin Hood Tax in Parliament. The debate happened in Westminster Hall. This type of debate allows MPs to raise issues that matter to them and have a government minister respond.
Hear what Graham Allen thought of the debate
Graham Allen MP called for the introduction of a Robin Hood Tax (Financial Transaction Tax), saying that this was a fair way of raising the money we desperately need to tackle… More >>
Local and national radio could do with a few merry tunes to brighten up the airwaves. Why not help us blast out our message to the nation and ring, text or tweet your favourite radio show requesting a song featuring heroes and villains?
Robin’s campaign got an enormous boost this week when Members of the European Parliament voted in favour of a resolution on “making financial transactions taxes work” by a massive 536-80.
‘It’s a simple and beautiful idea that has found its time,’ said Bill Nighy as he introduced the Robin Hood Tax campaign film to the packed audience at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) this morning.
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.
In a new paper on the Robin Hood Tax, Sony Kapoor asks the all important question ‘who pays in the end?’
Today was a great day. 2543 people asked their MP to attend a parliamentary briefing. Hundreds of people tweeted about the event, hundreds more talked about it on Facebook and 65, yes 65 MPs attended. A band of four merry folk talked at the briefing. And Committee Room 17 of the House of Commons was packed to capacity. Some people said they’d never seen anything like it.
We had been busy laying plans in Sherwood and the scribes penning invites, but we needed public pressure… More >>
112,000 Facebook fans, 350 economists, 28,000 signups, 250,000 video views and 58,000 ‘yes’ votes on this site. Phew! Our “good idea” certainly seems to be going down well. The only small number in this campaign is the 0.05% we think banks should contribute to make the world a better place. Here’s the story so far…
The Robin Hood Tax campaign is laying plans for actions all over the UK, more about that later. But really, you are the campaign, so let’s start making it happen right now.
Over the last few days there has been regular comment posting about three particular issues. They’ve also been asked in slightly different ways by a small number of people on our Facebook page. Here, we tackle them in more detail.
Economist Joseph Stiglitz talks about his new book ‘Freefall’ and The Robin Hood Tax with the London Evening Standard.
In response to your questions, here is some more detail about what the Robin Hood Tax is and how it might work.
One of the most common questions we’ve been asked on Twitter and Facebook is how the proposed Robin Hood Tax differs from the Tobin Tax? Dave Hillman from Stamp Out Poverty discusses the differences.
Projecting the campaign poster onto the side of the Bank of England building in London on 9th February 2010.
This is the text of a letter signed by chief executives of organisations in the Robin Hood Tax coalition coalition. It was sent to the leaders of the three main political parties in the UK: Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Leader of the Opposition David Cameron, and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg.
Bleary-eyed commuters were encouraged to “be part of the world’s greatest bank job” on Tuesday morning, as our campaign for a Robin Hood Tax began in earnest.
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