Dear supporter,

We bring great news, at least 11 European countries – including Europe’s biggest economies Germany, France, Italy and Spain – are set to implement an FTT in 2013. What a way to end the year!

This would raise an additional €37 billion annually. The fight is on to make sure as much of it goes to combating poverty and climate change as possible.

In the meantime, France took the lead by introducing its own FTT on share trading which will raise €1.6 billion a year. President Hollande has committed to spending 10% of the revenues on tackling poverty and climate change abroad. We think this percentage is too low and must fight to get it increased.

You can read all about the European progress in our autumn newsletter and also enjoy a hilarious new Robin Hood Tax campaign film courtesy of our German colleagues.

The Stamp Out Poverty Team

What a summer for the campaign

Dear Supporter

Fantastic news:

At the end of June, 9 European countries agreed to push ahead and implement a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) by the end of the year. The tax will help curb the speculation which has been blamed for contributing towards the financial crisis and raise £26.8bn in new revenue to help fund domestic and international social priorities.  Just this week France took an initial step by introducing a 0.2% levy on share trading of leading French companies. The tax is expected to raise around half a billion euros a year and President Hollande has indicated that part of the revenue will be used to fight global poverty and HIV/Aids.

You can read all about the progress in Europe in our summer newsletter, along with the sensational news that 50 leading financial sector professionals have broken ranks to come out in support of the FTT.

Finally, find out how Stamp Out Poverty’s Director, David Hillman, was mistaken for Peter Pan when he ran the London 10k run to raise money for the Robin Hood Tax campaign.

Wishing you happy summer holidays!

The Stamp Out Poverty team

Dear Supporter,

This month is set to be very important for the FTT campaign as we expect a key decision on 22nd June at the European Finance Ministers meeting.

Over recent weeks the campaign has achieved significant successes. You can read about them below.

As well, Stamp Out Poverty's Director Dave Hillman is taking part in the London 10k run on the 8th July to raise vital funds for the Robin Hood Tax campaign. You can read more about it and find out how to sponsor him in this month's newsletter.

The Stamp Out Poverty team 

Europe steps up efforts to implement a Financial Transaction Tax

Dear Stamp Out Poverty Supporter

The campaign for a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) has had an encouraging few months as a group of European countries have been pushing ahead and could implement the tax as early as next year. Read more about the progress and our achievements in the article below.

We’ve also been busy with some exciting campaign activities. Whilst ordinary citizens are paying the costs of the financial crisis with cuts to public services and jobs, Barclays bank has continued to hand out excessive bonuses and remunerations to its top Executives.  So last week we headed to the Barclays annual shareholder meeting to make our voice heard.

We also share our recent ‘FTT: Myth-Busting’ report. This really useful and informative paper addresses all common ‘myths’ about the tax and shows how an FTT would be good for economic growth and help generate thousands of jobs.

Enjoy!

The Stamp Out Poverty team

Success to a point at the G20

Dear Supporter,

Great news! The G20 Summit in Cannes saw the emergence of a coalition of willing countries in support of the Robin Hood Tax including France, Germany, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil. The financial transaction tax (FTT) was specifically named in the G20 communiqué, which counts as a considerable success because some countries are still opposed. However, despite progress no extra money has yet been raised.  Now is a crucial time to keep up the campaigning and especially to lobby the UK government.

From a flash-mob of semi-undressed Robin Hoods protesting in Nice to an action against tax havens at the Monaco border, the Alternative G20 clearly put forward the message that governments need to prioritise the public over the financial elite.

Bill Nighy, a long-standing advocate of the Robin Hood Tax campaign, also took our agenda all the way to Cannes with the help of some heroic nurses.

The Stamp out Poverty blog has recently been launched and contains the most up-to-date information surrounding FTT issues, as well as what the team have been up to. It is available here: http://stampoutpoverty.wordpress.com/, and will soon be up on the website too.

Thank you and enjoy,

The Stamp out Poverty Team.

G20 Alternative Summit

The crowd present at the Alternative Summit was international and diverse – formed from activists and campaigners from around the world, mainly protesting about the links between the debt in the global south and the adverse effects that this is having on people everywhere from London to sub-Saharan Africa…

Bill Nighy supports the Robin Hood Tax in Cannes

Bill Nighy, a long-standing advocate of the Robin Hood Tax campaign, took our agenda all the way to the G20 in Cannes. The other Bill (Gates) also presented his excellent report advocating a Robin Hood Tax to G20 leaders as the solution needed in order to raise much needed revenue to meet the Millennium Development Goals…

Tax havens: 1% haven, 99% haven’t

Location: Cap, D’Ail, French-Monaco border

Purpose: Protest in favour of regulating tax havens – taxes are a social contract with society and by allowing companies to ‘creatively’ avoid them we are pushing developing countries further into poverty…

Bank Breaks Ranks to Implement Currency Tax

Dear Supporter,

Generosity is not a word often associated with the financial sector (except perhaps for the dubious exception of banker bonuses), so it is with great delight that we report this month on a French bank's initiative to implement their own currency transaction tax for development. It proves such a step is technically feasible and hints at what could be achieved if Governments followed suit and taxed the financial sector more.

The theme of generosity is continued as we report on renowned street-art collective Mutate Britain's anti-greed art giveaway that happened in the heart of the City, much to the surprise of passing bankers.

Finally, there is a powerful new action we'd like you to take in support of the campaign. Please spend a few moments carrying out this urgent action. Thank you!

Enjoy,

The Stamp out Poverty Team

Europe backs Financial Transaction Tax

Dear Supporter,

Our lead story in this update makes a pretty astonishing read. France and Germany are now pushing for a Europe-wide Financial Transaction Tax – imagine that happening even 18 months ago?! The real breakthrough came when the European Parliament resolved to press ahead without waiting for global agreement which makes progress this year far more possible.

Here in the UK there are two important events taking place in the next few days that we hope you can attend – a Robin Hood tax debate in St Paul's with BBC Presenter Evan Davis and the HUGE march being organised by the TUC in response to the cuts.

Happy reading…

The Stamp Out Poverty team

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

 

URGENT ACTION

Get your MP along to key event in Parliament

Dear Supporter,

Robin Hood is going back to the Palace of Westminster. Since our last visit in February there have been two budgets and a general election. Now, some of our champion Robin Hood Tax MPs have organised another briefing day for faces new and old to hear all about this great idea. At a parliamentary event on October 11th, there will be rousing speeches, policy experts on hand and a guest appearance from actor, Bill Nighy. We need as many MPs there as possible and we need you, as a constituent, to tell them to attend.

Please do this 1-minute action by clicking the link:

The new UK coalition government has agreed to tax the banks – partly thanks to your campaigning. The question is how much and what for? The financial crisis is hitting the poorest hardest and with the reality of the cuts in the UK, the Robin Hood Tax offers a new innovative source of financing to save jobs and meet development and climate change commitments.

We have a new parliament. We have new opportunities. Let’s make them count. Please get your MP along to this event: .

Thanks,

The Stamp Out Poverty team

Osborne’s bank tax: will it hit the mark?

Stamp Out Poverty continues to play a lead role in the Robin Hood Tax campaign. Over 175,000 people have joined our Facebook group and more than a million have seen our videos.

With George Osborne set to announce the emergency Budget on 22 June we have taken over the billboards in Westminster tube station to send our message loud and clear to the new coalition government:

Tax rises such as VAT are regressive and will hit the poorest hardest. Having already committed to a bank tax, the government must now live up to its progressive rhetoric by ensuring this raises £20bn a year to help fight poverty and climate change at home and abroad.