Campaigns

Personal tax avoidance by some of the wealthiest in our country is exacerbating inequalities - we'd therefore urge the government to take decisive action to close in on personal tax avoidance and deliver greater tax fairness in the 2009 Budget.

The Royal Mail and the Post Office are part of the fabric of British society. They provide a universal service to all. Postal workers deliver to every door regardless of the wealth that lies behind it. In its queues we are all equal citizens. Businesses of every size and shape rely on it. For the elderly, the disabled, parents and those in rural communities its services are essential.

As the Observer reported on November 2nd the governments own adviser, the Social Security Advisory Committee has raised concerned about the latest welfare reform proposals. The welfare state is one of the UK's greatest achievements and supports us all especially vulnerable and unemployed people and their families.

Rising energy and fuel prices are affecting everyone but it's the poorest and those on fixed incomes who are paying the heaviest price. The warm summer weather will not mask the anxiety and anger at dramatically rising bills for the essentials of life - light and heat. We believe that the moment is right for the government to levy a sensible one off windfall tax to guarantee social and environmental justice both now and in the future. This is why.

We, the undersigned representatives of organisations working in the children and parenting fields, teachers and members of the wider children’s workforce, health professionals, campaigners, academics, politicians and individuals believe:

The Government is proposing to replace the UK’s fleet of Trident nuclear submarines and extend the life of existing missiles in plans that carry an estimated cost of £20bn. But they have given MP’s, scientists and campaigners just three months to weigh up the proposals, due to come before Parliament in mid-March.

Jon Trickett MP, Chair of the Compass Parliamentary Group, has worked to construct an umbrella group of organisations who believe that the case for the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent has not been sufficiently made, and that the timeframe for parliamentary approval of the decision is premature and insufficient.

The initiative - RETHINK TRIDENT – is supported by the following organisations: United Nations Association of Great Britain, One World Trust, Friends of the Earth, Scientists for Global Responsibility, War on Want, National Union of Students, British American Security Information Council (BASIC), SERA, MEDACT, People and Planet, Greenpeace, Oxford Research Group, CND, UNISON and CWU.

RETHINK TRIDENT released a statement endorsed by a Committee of 100 including faith leaders; academics; prominent politicians from all parties; leading authors and poets; musicians; and celebrities.

Product placement in films, TV programmes and books; spin-offs; text messages; internet pop-ups and advertgames; competitions and special offers… Marketers are coming up with ever more ingenious methods to infuse children’s lives with advertising messages. The child oriented market in the UK has grown to £30billion and has laid roots in every aspect of children’s lives from how they learn to what they eat and how they play.