Your actions have already helped put tax justice on the map of all the major UK political parties and hit the top of the international political agenda. Here’s how you did it.
Spring 2012: You put tax justice at the heart of the debate in parliament, with thousands of emails and letters to MPs, lobby meetings, media coverage and petition hand-ins.
- Hundreds of MPs write to the Treasury and forcing multiple detailed responses.
- MPs from all major parties speak out about the new tax loophole - including two questions at Prime Ministers Questions.
- Three amendments to the Finance Bill were tabled by four different parties – Labour, Liberal Democrats, SDLP and Green.
Sadly, even after all this pressure the government went ahead with its plans. But the campaign has built massive momentum and support in parliament. Tax justice is now firmly on the agenda like never been before.
February 2012: MPs on the International Development Select Committee start an inquiry into tax and development. ActionAid campaign targets SABMiller, Glencore, and Treasury Minister David Gauke all gave evidence.
November 2011: Thousands of campaigners asked their MPs to help close tax loopholes by putting pressure on the Chancellor ahead of the G20.
- Because we took action the government accepted for the first time that tax dodging damages developing countries
- At the G20 Bill Gates highlighted to world leaders the importance of developing tax revenues to enable less dependence on aid. The world’s second richest man is calling for tax justice!
- The G20 itself pledged to continue to crack down on tax havens, and agreed with us that more transparency was needed to help identity tax dodgers
May 2011: ActionAid's campaign asking SABMiller to stop tax dodging achieves a great result.
December 2010: ActionAid's exposé of SABMiller reveals for the first time exactly how a particular multinational dodges its taxes.
May 2010: ActionAid supporters put tax justice on the map in over 400 constituencies during the general election.
- MPs from all the parties supported your calls for tax justice.
- We got the issues covered in all the main party manifestos.
- We could safely declare tax justice the big winner during this election!
September 2009: We form The Outlandish Revenue Service and grab the attention of Treasury Minister Stephen Timms.
April 2009: 35,000 people tell the G20 to put people first.
October 2008:ActionAid supporters first ask Gordon Brown to fill the tax gap.
- He later agrees that tax havens siphon money out of developing countries. Tax justice is on the agenda.
photo : ©Kristian Buus/ActionAid
