G20: Robin Hood Tax

Those awfully nice people over at 38 Degrees have a petition on the go to put pressure on our estimable Prime Minister David Cameron to support a Robin Hood Tax when he meets up with his chums at the G20 Conference at the end of the week in Cannes.

Here's a video featuring Bill Nighy which explains the idea behind the Robin Hood Tax.

So click on the 38 Degrees link and sign their petition, and click on the Robin Hood Tax link to send an email to Cameron. We've checked it with the Pope and so we all agree:

The Pope has come out as the latest supporter of a Financial Transaction Tax after a note released yesterday (24 October) by the Vatican called for a reform of the international financial system. The note, released by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, recommended the implementation of a tax on financial transactions “with costs proportioned to the complexity of operations, especially of those carried out on the ‘secondary’ market.” The Vatican also proposed that funds raised by the tax be used to help low income countries suffering the effects of the financial crisis, stating that "Such taxation would be very useful in promoting global development and sustainability according to the principles of social justice and solidarity. It could also contribute to the creation of a world reserve fund to support the economies of the countries hit by crisis as well as the recovery of their monetary and financial system."

 Of course, if you're feeling energetic you could go to Cannes as well and engage in some direct action.