The Tax Justice Bus Tour launched last week at Greenbelt 2012, to inform people across Britain and Ireland why tax justice is so vital for the world's poorest people. The Tax Justice Tour sees Christian Aid join forces with UK poverty campaigners Church Action on Poverty and head out on the road across Britain and Ireland to bring people together in a bid to end the injustice of tax dodging at home and abroad.
Since the bus set off, hundreds of visitors have called on David Cameron to end financial secrecy, so that tax dodgers have nowhere to hide. Tax dodging hurts us all, especially when global companies and large sums of money are involved. It robs countries of the taxes they're owed – money that could be spent on essential services.
Christian Aid can show that in poor countries tax dodging results in a lack of clean water, sanitation, roads, schools and hospitals; and in people going hungry. Their tax justice campaign has highlighted how developing countries lose $160bn every year - one-and-a-half-times what they receive in international aid. Church Action on Poverty can show that in the UK tax dodging contributes to cuts in benefits for families, children and disabled people, reduced care for the elderly, less childcare and fewer libraries, youth services and other vital community facilities.
Financial secrecy is at the heart of these problems – especially the secrecy offered by tax havens. Thanks to loopholes in the global financial system, money that could provide vital services like schools and hospitals, is being pocketed by unscrupulous companies. The prime minister, David Cameron, has called for a fairer, better-governed world economy. Tell him that tax justice is the answer. Join us by sending an email to David Cameron today.
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Bruce Cockburn - Call It Democracy.
Showing posts with label cuts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cuts. Show all posts
Friday, 7 September 2012
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Disabled people are being betrayed
Ekklesia has an excellent short research paper which maps out the contours of a revolution in Britain’s benefits and welfare system.
The evidence "Karen McAndrew examines and evaluates indicates that, far from enabling and supporting sick and disabled people, the changes and cuts the UK government is making – disguised by a superficial rhetoric of compassion and empowerment, and eased by ungrounded prejudices stoked in sections of the media – are causing real harm and destroying the fabric of national care and genuine opportunity. Putting human impact centre stage, this paper sets out disturbing evidence that disabled people are being betrayed, the public misled, and the welfare system endangered. Here is yet more indication that the 'Big Society' is punishing the most vulnerable and eschewing social justice, by making cuts and implementing an inadequate patchwork of policies whereby under-resourced voluntarism cannot substitute for official, statutory neglect."
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Ian Dury and the Blockheads - What A Waste.
The evidence "Karen McAndrew examines and evaluates indicates that, far from enabling and supporting sick and disabled people, the changes and cuts the UK government is making – disguised by a superficial rhetoric of compassion and empowerment, and eased by ungrounded prejudices stoked in sections of the media – are causing real harm and destroying the fabric of national care and genuine opportunity. Putting human impact centre stage, this paper sets out disturbing evidence that disabled people are being betrayed, the public misled, and the welfare system endangered. Here is yet more indication that the 'Big Society' is punishing the most vulnerable and eschewing social justice, by making cuts and implementing an inadequate patchwork of policies whereby under-resourced voluntarism cannot substitute for official, statutory neglect."
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Ian Dury and the Blockheads - What A Waste.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Say No to Closure of Seven Kings Park Toilets Campaign (2)
Mark Kennedy, Membership Secretary of the Seven Kings and Newbury Park Resident's Association writes:
"On behalf of my committee members, I would like to record my thanks and appreciation for all of the effort made by the members of our Seven Kings & Newbury Park Residents Association, the community who pitched in, that we will hopefully gain as new members later and not forgetting the local shops in both Seven Kings and Newbury Park who were tremendous in asking each customer at their shops to sign our petition against the Council's closure threat to close the toilets in our local community, Seven Kings Park, Aldborough Road South, Newbury Park. Sadly, on this occasion, we lost the battle to save the toilets from closure at the Budget meeting, last Thursday 3rd March 2011. Some might say, we wasted our time and effort in trying to save the toilets from closure, no matter how clean and well kept they are, as is the case, the Council would always win and have their way. However, this is not the view we take on this issue. The positives are, we gained over 1,000 petition signatures in 5 days, our residents association name is now known to to all Councillors of all parties, our profile in the community has been raised during the campaign process and we are known now to the many thousands of readers of the Ilford Recorder as well. We have gained some new members, hopefully more will follow. Far from losing the battle, as far as we are concerned, it is game on. As the only local residents association that serves both the communities of Seven Kings & Newbury Park areas and one that prides itself on trying to maintain and improve the community for all people in Seven Kings and Newbury Park, the fight goes on. Our resident's association, will continue to press the council to reverse its decision to close the park toilets at every opportunity. In my appreciation, I must not forget to thank the local Councillors from Seven Kings, Newbury Park and Goodmayes who tried their best in asking questions during the Budget meeting aimed at the delegation protest representatives, which I and our resident's Secretary, Audrey Shorer were part, to highlight how the community users of the park would suffer from not being able to access toilets during recreation, play and exercise. For further details on this campaign and for joining the residents association, please contact Mark on Tel: 020-8598-8435 before 9:00 pm."
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Elbow - Jesus is a Rochdale Girl.
"On behalf of my committee members, I would like to record my thanks and appreciation for all of the effort made by the members of our Seven Kings & Newbury Park Residents Association, the community who pitched in, that we will hopefully gain as new members later and not forgetting the local shops in both Seven Kings and Newbury Park who were tremendous in asking each customer at their shops to sign our petition against the Council's closure threat to close the toilets in our local community, Seven Kings Park, Aldborough Road South, Newbury Park. Sadly, on this occasion, we lost the battle to save the toilets from closure at the Budget meeting, last Thursday 3rd March 2011. Some might say, we wasted our time and effort in trying to save the toilets from closure, no matter how clean and well kept they are, as is the case, the Council would always win and have their way. However, this is not the view we take on this issue. The positives are, we gained over 1,000 petition signatures in 5 days, our residents association name is now known to to all Councillors of all parties, our profile in the community has been raised during the campaign process and we are known now to the many thousands of readers of the Ilford Recorder as well. We have gained some new members, hopefully more will follow. Far from losing the battle, as far as we are concerned, it is game on. As the only local residents association that serves both the communities of Seven Kings & Newbury Park areas and one that prides itself on trying to maintain and improve the community for all people in Seven Kings and Newbury Park, the fight goes on. Our resident's association, will continue to press the council to reverse its decision to close the park toilets at every opportunity. In my appreciation, I must not forget to thank the local Councillors from Seven Kings, Newbury Park and Goodmayes who tried their best in asking questions during the Budget meeting aimed at the delegation protest representatives, which I and our resident's Secretary, Audrey Shorer were part, to highlight how the community users of the park would suffer from not being able to access toilets during recreation, play and exercise. For further details on this campaign and for joining the residents association, please contact Mark on Tel: 020-8598-8435 before 9:00 pm."
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Elbow - Jesus is a Rochdale Girl.
Friday, 25 February 2011
Spiritual Life: Big Society
This is my Spiritual Life column about the Big Society which was published in yesterday's Ilford Recorder:
Recently I attended a conference on what the Big Society might mean for the Church, where I heard Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, state that he is a big fan of the Big Society. As the Big Society is viewed as David Cameron’s big idea this was a surprising statement for a Labour MP to make, so what were some of the factors that led to this position?
He began with his Irish Catholic, working class, Labour background, which gave him a communitarian disposition. Communitarianism is about balancing individual rights with the interests of the community as a whole and it developed, in the twentieth century, from the Catholic Workers Movement. As a result, the Big Society is not new and has a significant Catholic heritage on which we can draw.
Next, was the example that the Church has provided in his constituency during a period of considerable change. There, the Church has played a central role by holding the line in the tensions of change; tensions which saw far-right councillors elected and then defeated in subsequent local elections. The Church in this situation acted as a just institution enabling the release of virtue and supporting human flourishing.
These thoughts about the Big Society provide a viable alternative to the selfishness inherent in our market-led consumerism and the over-heavy control of the ‘nanny’ state. They suggest that there is a different way of living and being socially; that life is more than earning and spending.
That certainly doesn’t mean that all is well now. Where the axe of cuts is currently falling makes the Big Society less likely. People in our community are struggling because of the withdrawal of 'safety nets'; the least well off are paying the price for the recession.
It doesn’t have to be like that, however. Successful community campaigns in this borough show that people of all faiths and none care deeply about what happens to this borough and the likely effects of cuts in Council services. Jon Cruddas quoted Oscar Romero who said, "Aspire not to have more but to be more." Maybe if we all thought like that, the Big Society could become the cornerstone of a new politics and the new centre ground.
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Eddie and the Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do.
Recently I attended a conference on what the Big Society might mean for the Church, where I heard Jon Cruddas, MP for Dagenham and Rainham, state that he is a big fan of the Big Society. As the Big Society is viewed as David Cameron’s big idea this was a surprising statement for a Labour MP to make, so what were some of the factors that led to this position?
He began with his Irish Catholic, working class, Labour background, which gave him a communitarian disposition. Communitarianism is about balancing individual rights with the interests of the community as a whole and it developed, in the twentieth century, from the Catholic Workers Movement. As a result, the Big Society is not new and has a significant Catholic heritage on which we can draw.
Next, was the example that the Church has provided in his constituency during a period of considerable change. There, the Church has played a central role by holding the line in the tensions of change; tensions which saw far-right councillors elected and then defeated in subsequent local elections. The Church in this situation acted as a just institution enabling the release of virtue and supporting human flourishing.
These thoughts about the Big Society provide a viable alternative to the selfishness inherent in our market-led consumerism and the over-heavy control of the ‘nanny’ state. They suggest that there is a different way of living and being socially; that life is more than earning and spending.
That certainly doesn’t mean that all is well now. Where the axe of cuts is currently falling makes the Big Society less likely. People in our community are struggling because of the withdrawal of 'safety nets'; the least well off are paying the price for the recession.
It doesn’t have to be like that, however. Successful community campaigns in this borough show that people of all faiths and none care deeply about what happens to this borough and the likely effects of cuts in Council services. Jon Cruddas quoted Oscar Romero who said, "Aspire not to have more but to be more." Maybe if we all thought like that, the Big Society could become the cornerstone of a new politics and the new centre ground.
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Eddie and the Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do.
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
TASK Newsletter 24
It has been a busy start to the year for TASK, to say the least, as we discovered that the Council member for Culture Cllr Suzanne Nolan has earmarked Goodmayes Library as the single branch site for closure across the whole borough. Meaning that if her plan goes through, the staff working there will lose their jobs, the site will almost certainly be sold to a property developer for more high density housing and the community will lose a vital facility. For ever.
And where will the 100,000 annual users of Goodmayes Library be expected to go under Nolan's masterplan? You guessed it. Seven Kings Library, the small and temporary shopfront on the High Road which barely accommodates 20 people in a single sitting. At every level, it is a plan with fundamental flaws which seems to operate against the Council's own mantra of protecting frontline services.
Unsurprisingly, it has generated shock and outrage and anger, which is now being focused around a huge campaign of opposition involving every section of the local community. For more details, please see the brand new Save Goodmayes Library website and sign up for its dedicated facebook page.
TASK is clearly concerned about the loss of amenity in Goodmayes and the pressure on services in Seven Kings, and frankly worried that if Goodmayes goes, the way is still open for Cllr Nolan to close Seven Kings in future rounds of cuts. Leading to a cruel double whammy of closures in the south of the borough.
Council leader Cllr Keith Prince- the man whose intervention was decisive getting our new Seven Kings branch open- was at last night's area 5 meeting at Barley Lane school from 715pm , when we made our case against closure and offered some fresh thoughts. Thanks to everyone who turned up to support the Save Goodmayes Library campaign, momentum behind which grows daily. We are confident the case for keeping it open was well made and will be maintaining the pressure over the weeks up until the budget is decided in early March.
If you have yet to do so please go to the dedicated website and sign the petition online - http://www.savegoodmayeslibrary.org/ - and remember that the politicians told us we would never have a new Seven Kings library, which we do only because of the huge public support last time. We need to mobilise that level of support again now to Save Goodmayes Library.
We will be holding our first TASK meeting of 2011 on Tuesday February 1 from 7-8pm at a new venue, Gizem Bakers on the High Road Seven Kings- near the junction with St. Alban's Road. We are grateful to the owners for their generous support.
Hope to see many of you there,
Chris Connelley
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Stiff Little Fingers - At The Edge.
And where will the 100,000 annual users of Goodmayes Library be expected to go under Nolan's masterplan? You guessed it. Seven Kings Library, the small and temporary shopfront on the High Road which barely accommodates 20 people in a single sitting. At every level, it is a plan with fundamental flaws which seems to operate against the Council's own mantra of protecting frontline services.
Unsurprisingly, it has generated shock and outrage and anger, which is now being focused around a huge campaign of opposition involving every section of the local community. For more details, please see the brand new Save Goodmayes Library website and sign up for its dedicated facebook page.
TASK is clearly concerned about the loss of amenity in Goodmayes and the pressure on services in Seven Kings, and frankly worried that if Goodmayes goes, the way is still open for Cllr Nolan to close Seven Kings in future rounds of cuts. Leading to a cruel double whammy of closures in the south of the borough.
Council leader Cllr Keith Prince- the man whose intervention was decisive getting our new Seven Kings branch open- was at last night's area 5 meeting at Barley Lane school from 715pm , when we made our case against closure and offered some fresh thoughts. Thanks to everyone who turned up to support the Save Goodmayes Library campaign, momentum behind which grows daily. We are confident the case for keeping it open was well made and will be maintaining the pressure over the weeks up until the budget is decided in early March.
If you have yet to do so please go to the dedicated website and sign the petition online - http://www.savegoodmayeslibrary.org/ - and remember that the politicians told us we would never have a new Seven Kings library, which we do only because of the huge public support last time. We need to mobilise that level of support again now to Save Goodmayes Library.
We will be holding our first TASK meeting of 2011 on Tuesday February 1 from 7-8pm at a new venue, Gizem Bakers on the High Road Seven Kings- near the junction with St. Alban's Road. We are grateful to the owners for their generous support.
Hope to see many of you there,
Chris Connelley
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Stiff Little Fingers - At The Edge.
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