- DERBY PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
The People’s Charter
The alternative to the cuts and unemployment is straightforward.
It is detailed in The People’s Charter
-supported by the TUC and 16 individual trade unions nationally and many trades union councils
Here are just 10 points for starters, making all cuts to jobs & services unnecessary.
1. Target the £120 billion of tax unpaid avoided and evaded by the richest 10% of the population
2. Close tax loopholes and tax havens – raising £70 billion a year
3. Impose a “Robin Hood” tax of financial transactions – £20 billion a year
4. Levy a 2% wealth tax on the wealthiest 10% of the population who own over 80% of the country’s wealth – £78 billion a year
5. Increase corporation tax on business profits – particularly those made from overseas operations – £10 billion
6. Gather a 20% “windfall tax” on the year’s superprofits in the energy, fuel, supermarket, arms and drugs industries – raising £16 billion
7. Take the the banks into public ownership using their £90 billion of profits (and £7 billion of “bonuses”) for the public good
8. Limit the export of investment capital to protect jobs and industry from asset stripping by transnationals
9. Reduce VAT to boost working people’s spending power and economic activity
10. Legislate to compel the re- investment of a percentage of private sector profits in British industry
Will the ConDem coalition consider these points? Of course not… it is a government of millionaires (18 millionaires of of a total of 23 members of the Coalition Cabinet) for millionaires.
The bigger question is, “Will the Labour Party include them in their manifesto?”
www.thepeoplescharter.org for more information and affiliation details.
The Peoples Charter PO Box 53091, London, E12 9DA 07931 562702 (answerphone)
The People’s Charter for Change ….in brief
1. A fairer economy for a fairer Britain. Take the leading banking, insurance and mortgage industries fully into democratic public ownership run for the benefit of all. Regain control of the Bank of England and keep interest rates low. Tightly regulate the City markets to facilitate lending and to stop speculation and takeovers against the public interest. Ban hedge funds, raids on pension funds, asset-stripping and corporate tax loopholes. Restructure the tax system so big business and the wealthy pay more and ordinary people pay less. End tax avoidance, evasion and tax havens. Impose a financial transaction tax. Cut VAT.
2. More and better jobs. Existing jobs must be protected. Public and private investment must create new jobs paying decent money – in particular in manufacturing, construction and green technology. . Reduce hours, not pay, to create more jobs. More jobs mean more spending power to stimulate the economy, increased tax revenue and fewer people on benefit. Take essential industries back into public ownership. Build full employment. Raise the minimum wage to two thirds national median earnings and end the lower rate for young workers.
3. Decent homes for all. Stop the repossessions and keep people in their homes. Offer ‘no interest’ loans. Control rents. We need three million new homes. End council house sales and transfers of housing stock to the private sector. Give local government the power and money to build and renovate affordable quality homes and buy empty ones, ending the housing shortage, and creating jobs.
4. Protect and improve our public services – no cuts. Save public money: Bring energy, transport, water and telecommunications back, and keep the post in public ownership. End fragmentation, competition, privatisation and corporate profiteering in health, education, social and other public services. Stop the EU privatisation Directives. 5. Fairness and Justice. Free heating and transport for every pensioner. Link state pensions and benefits to average earnings. Protect pension schemes and restore the lost value of private pensions. End child poverty by increasing child benefits and tax credits and providing free nurseries and crèches. Close the wealth/poverty gap.
Enforce equal pay for women. End racism and discrimination in all its forms. No scapegoating of migrant workers. Invest in young people and give them a real stake in the future. Provide youth, community, arts and cultural centres, sports facilities, and clubs for all. Guarantee training, apprenticeships and education with grants for everyone and no fees. Restore union rights to allow them the freedom to fight the crisis and to protect workers. 6. Build a secure and sustainable future for all. End the cost of war in blood and money. Bring our troops home. Don’t waste billions on a new generation of nuclear weapons. Our future must be based on massive investment for a greener, safer world now, combatting climate change and ecological crisis and creating a million green jobs in Britain. Cancel the debts of the poor of the planet. Get rid of the debt economy in Britain and abroad, which is crushing millions
The People’s Charter is a comprehensive, coherent and practical program for an alternative economic and social program for Britain, for “A People’s Britain Not A Bankers’ Britain”, endorsed and supported by The People’s Assembly. It is based on a program of redistribution of wealth, progressive taxation, closing tax loopholes, directed investment, common ownership, public services, equality and peaceful sustainable development.
There is no shortage of money in Britain for such a program. It is simply not used for the benefit of the people as a whole, but rather the enrichment of a tiny class of people in banking, finance and monopoly capital. The Charter therefore asserts that there is NO need for ANY public spending cuts or loss of jobs, no matter what their depth or speed of implementation might be proposed to be.
Since it was developed in 2008-9, the People’s Charter has been widely endorsed by the Trade Union and progressive movement… by the TUC Congress, Women’s TUC, Scottish TUC, Wales TUC, the local Trades Union Councils National Conference. It is included by the TUC in its Plan of Work for local trades union councils. It is endorsed by 19 individual Trade Unions, and by many trades union councils and anti cuts and “austerity” groupings.
The People’s Charter is now seen as the property of the whole movement – and is recognised in the statement from the People’s Assembly on June 22nd. The Commission of the People’s Charter agrees with the statement that there is a burning need for a single unified anti austerity organisation – and now wishes to integrate the Charter into a future People’s Assembly national structure.
Derby People's Assembly 