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NEWS • VIEWS • INFORMATION • ADVICE


(...Continued from page 28) climate change NGOs, trade unions, faith groups and domestic charities. We have over 250,000 Facebook supporters and have been joined by celebrities such as Richard Curtis, Bill Nighy, Sir Ben Kingsley and Sienna Miller. The Archbishop of Canterbury supports us, as do politicians from all political parties and more than 1,000 economists.

A massive amount has already been achieved. The IMF and the European Commission have been converted from slamming the idea as unrealistic to admitting that it is feasible and progressive. They have highlighted that it would not necessarily lead to banks packing their bags and setting off to different markets. In fact a coalition of supportive countries including France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Austria are actively seeking a Europe-wide or Eurozone tax. The European Parliament has voted twice in favour in recent months.

Yet the UK government is dragging its heels. Shortly after announcing a new bank levy worth £2.5 billion, it revealed corporation tax would drop by 5%, thereby giving back with one hand what it took with the other. Meanwhile VAT goes up to 20% and will hit the poorest hardest. We are clearly not 'all in this together' as George Osborne and David Cameron like to claim.

It is down to us to pile the pressure on the UK government to support these exciting developments in Europe. Two years ago none of this would have seemed possible, but we now have within our grasp the opportunity to make a disastrous banking crisis a stepping stone to a better world.

A Robin Hood Tax would surely be the most popular tax in history. It would help bring the banker's casino dream world back under control. It would raise much needed money to protect our children’s education and other public services, it would help in the fight against poverty and climate change and it would put right the injustice that for too long banks have been able to pocket the billions when they win, but leave it to us to shoulder the losses when things go wrong.

THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO

1) Watch the three-minute Bill Nighy banker video, written and directed by Richard Curtis www.robinhoodtax.org.uk.
2) Join over 250,000 others on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/robinhoodtax.
3) Take part in the MP-ometer action http://robinontheroad.org/action.

CAMERON URGED TO ACT

The NASUWT has joined forces with dozens of other campaign groups and trade unions to call on the Prime Minister to support an EU-wide tax on bankers.

It now seems likely that a financial transaction tax will be implemented by a number of countries within the EU and campaigners have written to Mr Cameron urging him to agree its introduction in the UK.

The letter highlights the overwhelming support of the British public for the introduction of such a tax, with polls suggesting that over 80% of UK voters believe bankers should be made to pay for the damage their actions caused.

More information on the NASUWT’s support for the Robin Hood Tax campaign can be found at www.nasuwt.org.uk/RobinHoodTax

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