Good News: MEPs Back Robin Hood Tax | Robin Hood Tax

Yesterday a little bit of Sherwood to came to Brussels with the European Parliament voting in support of a €200bn (£172bn) a year Robin Hood Tax (Financial transactions tax). MEPs want to Europe to press ahead unilaterally to introduce the tax to raise money to protect public services, help the poorest people at home and abroad and tackle climate change.

This bold move has set a global standard for pressing ahead with action on the banks. With France chairing the G20 group this year, Europe is in an excellent position to make an FTT happen. Such a move is not non binding so we must now urge MEPs to challenge their national governments to back it. The EU summit later this month must be the place where the political weight tips in favour of an FTT in Europe.

The vote has also put to rest the argument that nothing can happen without global agreement, and should push global leaders from looking at each to taking action.

The vote is non-binding. However, the pieces are now falling into place for a Europe-wide bank tax. The German and French governments are both pushing this; Austria and Spain are in support and today the European parliament threw its weight behind a tiny tax on financial transactions. It's time the UK stopped dragging its heels and joined the rest of Europe in ensuring the financial sector;pays its fair share.

For those of you who took action thank you for asking your MP to vote. See below to find out if your MEP is a merry (wo)men. Those in support:

• All the Labour MEPs
• Both Green MEPs
• The Plaid Cymru MEP in Wales
• The Sinn Fein MEP in NI
• 2 Lib Dem MEPs (Hall in NE, McMillan-Scott in Y&H) 

And against:

• All the UKIP, BNP and Conservative MEPs
• DUP and OUP in NI
• Almost all Lib Dems

via robinhoodtax.org