I have had a few constituents write to me regarding the Robin Hood Tax campaign; just so everyone knows this is a campaign I fully support.
The campaign for a Robin Hood Tax on financial transactions has been gathering steam over the last two weeks as support for the measure is growing. Three hundred and fifty economists and over 120,000 members of facebook have all signed up. I attended the campaign’s Parliamentary launch around in February, I believe it was a Wednesday, and I wasn’t able to sign Early Day Motion 913 in support of the campaign at the time due to my PPS responsibilities, but I have gone one better and put them up on the website.
For those unaware of this campaign let me explain. The proposals would see on average a 0.05% tax on speculative transactions that could raise hundreds of billions of pounds each year. The money could be spent on a multitude of worthy causes such as tackling poverty, both here and abroad, and dealing with Climate Change. As we move out of the global recession we need to ensure that global banking agreements and policies secure our future. This scheme, which could benefit millions of the poorest in our society and across the world, will only be possible if we look for an international agreement and if we are not afraid to challenge big businesses and banks to do their bit for society.
This won’t be good news for the Tory peer Lord Griffiths, whose friends at Goldman Sachs attempted to sabotage the campaign with a mass computerised vote on the campaigns website. Griffiths, who is International Advisor to Goldman Sachs, has consistently supported banker bonuses and will undoubtedly be leading the Tories against the tax. As my Labour colleague, Steve Pound MP, put it that week at PMQs, “I think we know all know who speaks for the Sheriff of Nottingham!”
The campaign is still growing in support and you can join in at the Robin Hood Tax website. Please watch the video below, featuring one of the campaign’s most high profile supporters, Bill Nighy, as he acts out the part of a banker:
On Saturday I joined thousands of people all over Scotland and hundreds of millions of people across the world in switching off my lights in a demonstration of support for people and wildlife threatened by the dangers of man made climate change.
I support the WWF’s Earth Hour and followed Piccadilly Circus, the London Eye and even the Las Vegas strip, by turning off my lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm last Saturday (27th March) to save energy and highlight the issue of global warming.
I support vigorously the campaign to help fight climate change; I have tabled EDM 524 to force my fellow parliamentary colleagues to show that they recognise man made climate change, and I also sit on the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee raising environmental issue when necessary.
I have signed up to the NSPCC’s new campaign to ensure protecting children is a political priority: I Stand for Children. It is a priority of this government to ensure that all children, no matter what their background might be, receive the care that they need to make the best possible start in life.
The NSPCC’s campaign is calling on MPs and candidates to commit to a range of child protection measures including:
Continued funding of helpline services for children and for adults concerned about the safety or welfare of a child
Making the internet safer for children
Tackling domestic violence from a child’s point of view
Ensuring that vital child protection reforms are fully implemented and resourced, following the death of Baby Peter and other child deaths since
Provision of resources for vital therapeutic services for children who have experienced abuse
Strengthening the role of the children’s commissioner in England to act as a genuinely independent voice for children.
The charity’s Diana Sutton, head of the public affairs and campaigns unit at the NSPCC, said: “We need to make sure that the next elected Government keeps child protection high on its list of priorities. By signing up to our campaign, candidates in this next general election can help. The public can play their role by letting the politicians know what they want done.”
RT @JamesMills1984#rounders fight back starts here as Labour researchers beat the darkside, sorry Tories, 7 nil! <<< Well done Team Labour!about 2 days agofrom web
I have had a few constituents write to me regarding the Robin Hood Tax campaign; just so everyone knows this is a campaign I fully support.
