Newsletter : December 2010

A fitting end to an incredible year

 

Dear Supporter, 

2010 has undoubtedly been the most important ever year in Stamp Out Poverty's history. The question being asked by the public and politicians is no longer if we should tax the financial sector, but how and by how much. The Robin Hood Tax campaign launched in February and has been at the heart of this debate. Our message has reached millions, and spurred on by unlikely advocates such as the IMF, governments have started to act.

So what’s going to happen in 2011? You can read our analysis below, but before you do, please take part in our quick yuletide action. We’re hoping to persuade the UK’s top bankers to join in with the Christmas spirit and pay their fair share.

Thank you for playing your part in what has been an incredible year. Have a very merry Christmas and happy New Year,

The Stamp Out Poverty team

 

Send your Santa letter to the bankers

Bankers are set to receive more than GBP10 billion in bonuses this year, yet around the world ordinary people are paying the price for a crisis they did nothing to cause. Send your Santa letters to the bankers and ask them to pay their fair share and make poverty overseas and in the UK a ghost of Christmas past.

What does 2011 have in store?

Public anger towards the banks remains high. Campaigns in dozens of countries have brought together millions of people asking that the financial sector pay more. 2011 will be a crunch year for turning popular momentum into political reality – but what can we expect from governments around the world?

Top Fact of 2010:

We have always known that the trade in currency trumps all others as the biggest market in the world. But the latest figures show that whilst the rest of the economy has taken a nosedive the average turnover of the foreign exchange market has gone up to an incredible $4.0 trillion a day. That’s a rise of 20% from trading levels seen in 2007. In these austere times what more evidence do governments need that it is time to tap the unrivalled riches of the currency markets.