World Poverty Day - the Green Party lays out policies for tackling poverty

18 April 2010

Today the Green Party have set out their policies for tackling poverty, to coincide with World Poverty Day (1)

The Green Party would:

• Introduce a "Robin Hood" tax (2) which would generate as much as £250bn by taxing bankers transactions by a tiny amount (maybe 0.05%). This money would be used to tackle global poverty, as well as tackling climate change and investing in public services.
  
• Increase aid by exceeding the UN's target and allocating at least 1 per cent of UK Gross National Produce for aid by 2011, adding an extra £4.5bn pa. This aid should be targeted for the poorest, not involve economic policy conditions, respect gender equality and not be diverted to equipping security forces.
  
• Keep an International Aid Department separate from the Foreign Office, so as to separate foreign policy interests from humanitarian assistance.
  
• Nationally, introduce radical tax reform which would leave 87 per cent of the population better off, taxing those who earn over £100,000 fifty per cent whilst helping lower earners by reintroducing the 10 per cent tax band and the 22p basic rate.
  
• Bring in a basic, non means-tested pension of £170 per week to bring many pensioners out of crippling poverty.
  

A Green Party spokesperson commented today:

"I was delighted to see today that the World Development Movement website rates our international development policies far higher than the other main parties; Greens are on eight (out of ten), Lib Dems on six, Labour on five and the Conservatives trailing behind on three (3). This confirms what we have known for a long time - that the Green Party are the only party who take social, trade and environmental justice seriously."

"Our policies would radically improv the lives of the poorest. Nationally, for example, we believe that it is better to tax those who can afford it rather than cutting the jobs of those who cannot. And when it comes to international aid, we would exceed the UN target and add billons each year to help the poorest. Most exciting is the "Robin Hood" tax, which was made Green Party policy recently at our spring conference in February. This would provide billions of pounds to tackle global poverty, whilst taking a minute amount from large financial transactions."

"We are on the brink of getting out first MPs into Westminster, which would mean an independent voice in parliament talking about these vital issues, and holding the Government to account."


Notes:

1. To read more about World Poverty Day, please see: http://www.voteglobal.org.uk/news/election-2010-world-poverty-day-sunday-18-april/.
2. To read more about the Robin Hood tax, please see: http://robinhoodtax.org.uk/.

3. Please see: http://www.wdm.org.uk/news/tories-and-labour-criticised-over-development-policies-ahead-world-poverty-day.