Newsletter : March 2011

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

Europe backs Financial Transaction Tax

President Sarkozy and Chancellor Merkel are calling for a FTT. The European Parliament voted in favour. Never before have we witnessed such high level support and it’s a game changing moment for the fortunes of the FTT that has risen so remarkably up the political agenda in Europe over the past few weeks.

March for the alternative to the cuts

Play your part and join hundreds of thousands of others in London this 26 March as we show the government there is an alternative to the cuts. The Stamp Out Poverty team will be going along so come and join us to make the case that the financial sector can and should pay their fair share.

St Paul’s event: should we bank on a Robin Hood Tax?

Join BBC presenter Evan Davis and a distinguished panel on 29 March for a debate at St Paul’s Cathedral asking if the financial sector has a moral responsibility to contribute to the common good and be subject to a Robin Hood Tax?

‘Better FX’ toolkit launched

Stamp Out Poverty launched the ‘Better FX’ report in conjunction with the Charity Finance Directors’ Group. Designed as a best practice toolkit, it identifies how the charity sector could make sector-wide savings of 20-50 million pounds a year by improving their procurement of foreign exchange.