Campaigners renew push for “Robin Hood” tax
The Robin Hood Tax, a coalition of charities, aid agencies, unions and economists lobbying to impose a “Robin Hood tax” on banks’ financial transactions has unveiled a second viral ad proposing tax on financial institutions in a bid to save the economy.
In the viral, actor Ben Kingsley plays a banker who is mugged, before being given back all his contents except 5p. It follows a previous viral launched in February that starred Bill Nighy.
The 5p reflects the average tax of 0.05% that the Robin Hood Tax wants to impose on share, bond, currency and derivatives transactions between financial institutions such as investment banks and hedge funds.
The group claims that the hundreds of billions of pounds raised would be used to help poor people at home and abroad, protect jobs and tackle climate change.
Kingsley says: “At a time when people at home and abroad are suffering economic hardship, our politicians should listen to the voice of ordinary voters. A tiny tax on banks could make a massive difference to poor people.”
The film comes ahead of a planned protest in London tomorrow (April 10) when Robin Hood supporters will call on party leaders to include the tax in their manifestos and to use the money raised for good causes.
The campaign is a collection of more than 100 domestic charities, aid agencies, green groups, faith organisations and unions and is supported by Richard Curtis, film director and founder of Comic Relief. Member organisations include: Oxfam, TUC, Barnardo’s, The Salvation Army, Friends of the Earth, ActionAid, RSPB and Crisis.
In the two months since it launched, it has attracted over 150,000 Facebook fans, almost five times the combined total of the three main political parties. High profile and celebrity supporters include Jeffrey Sachs and more than 350 economists, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Bill Nighy, Sienna Miller and Emma Thompson.
