Plymouth Green parliamentary candidates have given their backing for the Robin Hood tax. Tony Brown (Sutton & Devonport), Wendy Miller (Plymouth Moor View) and Vaughan Brean (South West Devon) have spoken in support of the on-going campaign.
It would operate by placing a tiny tax upon banks and financial transactions – as low as 0.005 per cent to 0.05 per cent – resulting in generating billions around the world; with tens of billions in the UK alone.
The proposal has garnered support from a wide array of poverty and environmental charities, as well as trade unions and European leaders Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as many in the business and financial sector.
The tax was mooted at a Plymouth hustings meeting (RIBA, Friday April 16 2010) when Alison Seabeck (Labour) and Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton & Devonport Stuart Bonar gave their backing, but not without round the world co-operation. Wendy Miller spoke in favour of it, with the Greens believing that it is more than possible for the UK to strive forward and be the leader in this innovative proposal.
Tony Brown said: “This tax could help Britain in so many ways. We could protect hospitals and schools under threat of cuts, we could sustain jobs, fight poverty and tackle climate change.”
Wendy Miller noted the wider range of support the idea is attracting. She said: “The IMF have finally come out for proposals to tax the banks and say this would ideally be a multilateral agreement. Judging by how long it took Kyoto targets to be agreed and the failure of translating that into any meaningful action, we call on the UK to show strong and determined leadership.
“We cannot just sit by and protest for another decade before putting right the incredulous injustice of people swanning off with millions, while devastating homes and economies with their actions, and leaving taxpayers and the poor around the world to pick up the bill!”
Plymouth Greens say they will continue to draw attention and support to this issue, both during the election period and after, when a protest by the campaign group is set to be staged in Plymouth in the summer months.
(from a press release)
(Image: Wendy Miller speaking at the Devonport anti-incineration protest march on Saturday, April 17)
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