HM Government e-petition: Call for a fairer economy

Responsible department: Her Majesty's Treasury

We believe that the UK should have a fairer economy in which all participants enjoy a more proportional share of success. Boardroom salary has escalated, even in a difficult financial climate, by rewarding failure or by slashing costs in terms of workers and their salaries. The average CEO now earns £4.9m a year - almost 200 times the average wage. In contrast, the average worker has seen their salary frozen, or rise less than inflation. After decades of experimenting with the failed experiment of trickle down economics, it is time to spread the weath from the bottom up. We call for a debate to make society fairer and reduce the inequality gap. We call for a serious discussion on a living wage, removing the poorest from taxation, making the 50p tax rate permanent and closing tax loopholes that can only be exploited by the rich.

SIGN NOW

Support

The Equality Trust - August 2011 Newsletter

"The sort of petition that deserves a signature." View

- Richard Murphy, Tax Research UK

"Hope you will consider signing it if you are a UK citizen or resident." View

- Yves Smith, Naked Capitalism and auther of Econned

Supporting facts and figures

• The minimum wage is approximately 1/3rd less than the living wage as estimated by the Joseph Rowntree Trust
• 2,800,000 children live in relative poverty in the UK
• At the time of writing, 2.45m people in the UK are unemployed, including 917,000 people between the ages of 16 and 24
• The poorest 50% of the population share 7% of marketable wealth

By contrast,

• The wealthiest 1 per cent own approximately 20% of the UK's marketable wealth

 

Have you promoted the e-petition? Let us know!

Comments (if you want a link, include the website address and your email at the end)