Within days of publishing the "Radical Alternative to Austerity" on my blog and twitter, over 500 people from all walks of life have emailed me to put their name in support of the statement.
The names have been coming in so thick and fast that I can't keep up with them.
There has been no publicity in any of the main stream media and yet by using the new media, twitter and simply word of mouth many, many people have become aware of the statement and it has been widely circulated and commented upon.
Thanks to everyone who has supported the statement and please keep circulating it.
John
Here are some of the signatories:
Name
Claire Wadey
Chris Sharp
Elizabeth Donnelly
Madhu Karia
Gemma Grubb
Jim Terry
George Gallaccio
Margaret Howard
Nick Heffernan
Robert Donald
Phil Butler
Dr Chris Shaw
Neil Howard
Eddie Dougall
Nigel Filer
Irene Green
joel lazarus
Dave Postles
Derek Kotz
James O'Nions
Annette Pearson
Dr Liza Griffin
Shelagh Simmons
Vivien Giladi
Norma Machen
Guy Williams
Douglas Coker
John Illingworth
Joy Green
Russell Bradshaw
Robin McAlpine
Finn Raven
Thomas Butler
Robin Jackson
Chris Drew
Alan Milne
Brendan Casey
Sarah Thornton
Matthew Kolakowski
Jane Booker
Pauline Worsnop
Brandon High
Robert Evans
Alex Bennett
John Stott
Andy Danford
Ian Williams
Angie Birtill
Deborah King
Michael Cullen
John Airs
Donald Simpson
Heather Wetzel
Anne Schuman
David Robertson
Eleanor Firman
Dave Wetzel
Bill Roberts
Morag Carmichael
Joe Gibbins
JOHN DREWERY
Prof. J. F. Dolecki
Jacqueline Noltingk
Richard Jones
Carol Wilcox
Alan Dent
Rachel Hardy
Christopher McQuiggin
Caroline Raine
Deborah Jones
Simon Streatfeild
John Barrowdale
Jon Woods
Helen Woodall
Daniel Sartin
Peter McDonald
Geoff Mason
Patricia Walker
Eileen Lewis
Andrew Duncan
Lucy Luton
Paul Morris
Richard Shrubb
Anne Edmonds
Mike Rowley
Mike Shaw
Dr John Bone
Glyn Tudor
Barry Ewart
sandy Vine
Michael Bradley
Stephen Thomas
Ian Manborde
James Doran
Andreas Bieler
Kate Ness
Tracy Harman
Gabriella Alberti
Jeffrey Boss
Nick Creaby-Attwood
Dave Spooner
Pilgrim Tucker
Alan Tuckman
Carol Stephenson
Philip Thomas
Richard Ross
Dr. Hazel Conley
Dr Peter Dwyer
Richard James
Professor Chris Knight
John Lipetz
Joan Watkins
Michael Cronogue
Michael Milton
Colin Adams
elizabeth charles
Tamara Carlson
Pragna Patel
Tanya Trappitt
Jenny McGhie
jay ginn
Felicity McDevitt
Paul Birkett
Denis Lenihan
John Hendy
David Morgan
Jennifer Hynes
Nigel Fox
Colin Burgess
Peter Brickley
Paul Nicolson
Bill Bowring
Richard Solly
Vin West
Ann Marie Wareham
Kay Murphy
Norman Wright
Catherine Tanner
Chris Benner
Nicola Nixon
GABRIEL PEPPER
Janet Ubido
Malcolm Wallace
Elaine Waldron
Aidrianne Sebastian-Scott
Eleanor Firman
Alan Milne,
Gaynor Underhill
julie McLaren
Patrick Lynch
Richard Kelham
Sid Baility
Julia Cameron
Pete McLaren
Thomas Butler
Linda Burnip
Nicola Field
Bill Wells
Jill Goble
Stephen Fawcus
Mark Morton
Jon Tiley
Gill Kennett
Brian Dooley
Cllr. Kevin Bennett
Jean Cozens
Rod Nicholl
Jackie Hawkins
Martin Fletcher
David Wheeler
Peter Watson
Linda Burnip
A Kennett
John collings
Nikki Osborne
Pam Wortley
Simon Wilkes
Debbie Jolly
Norman Fairclough
Sarah Evans
Steve Revins
ian.nelson
Kath Percival
Romayne Phoenix
Dawn Moulton
Ian Dicks
Bob Ellard
Robin Winfield
Barbara Humphries
Andrew Daggett
mark phoenix
Susan Jones
Jack Preston
Rosemary Sales
Susan Tabb
Steve Price
Joanne Lashmar
Charlotte Bates
Michael Connor
Kathy Hawes
Robbie Davison
john turner
Peter Madden
Jim Mortoza
Phil Rackley
Angie Joel
David Mitchell
Rosemary Bunting
Corinne Bunting
Andrea Campbell
arjan van heuckelum
Keith Louch
Leigh Fielding
Simon Crew
John Taylor
robert beckett
Patrick James Ward
Elspeth Knights
Claire Traynor
Lynn Flaws
Noel Hayes
JAYNE LINNEY
john McGhee
Andy Walker
Brian Caton
Neil Findlay
Jenny Lennox
nicola seyd
Helen Burke
Norrette Moore
Pamela Read
Jo Blick
Sheena McKerrell
Jago Parker
David Nicholson
David Drew
Cathy Watson
David Parkin
Joe Marino
John-Paul Moran
Mavis Cook
Sean Fox
Helen Skinner
Merry
Dave Dash
Morag Cumming
Simon Tyler-Murphy
Andrew Bunting.
Haydn Wheeler
paul barnard
Charles Brown
John Fox
Ann Whitehurst
Rev Hazel Barkham
Ian Massey
Jim Wolfe
Claire Price
Adam Pogonowski
JOHN FLYNN
Ross Allan.
Anne Jarvis
Paul Rooke
Louise Maurice
michelle maher
Richard Barbrook
Dr Michael Marten
Dr. Penny Mead
Diana Basterfield
Mike Black
Charles Holmes
Steve Birkin
Maureen Shram
Dawn Thorpe
Joan Keane
Oliver Jackson
mike lammiman
Terry Daniels
Rhiannon Lockley
Grahame Morris
John Clarke
Dr Brian Simmons
Kim Blake
Bev Skeggs
Jamie Cooper
Robert Thomas
mervyn hyde
simon tyszko
Terry Ryan
Margaret Rawsthorn
Michael Brett
Adrian Hart
Iestyn Evans
Gwen Crawford
Gary Beckwith
Kate Hardy
Mary Lloyd
Tricia Lowther
Lara Pawson
Stewart Smith
Phil Kemp
Neil Wilson
Cliff Babbs
Peter Rothwell
nicholas Ripley
Annette Lenton
Allan challenger
Kate Hardy
Ben Sellers
Rozh Ahmad
Leni Farrer.
Paul McLean
Ade Kennett
Mervyn Wilmington
Rebecca Carmichael
Mark Green
Keith Cain
Tom Senior
Ella Osborne
Harry Cross
Rob Evans
P McCormac
Chris Atkins
Hayley Goldsack
David Jobe
Diane Jones
Karl Thomas
Darren Burdon
John McMahon
Richard Liggins
Ben Sellers
Ian Woodland
Steve Smedley
Lesley Stewart
Tony Stradwick
Jan Jesson
Viv Willis.
Dick Bellringer.
Robyn Evans
Rosalinde Woodroffe
Manuel Cortes
Mark Chivers
Claire Stanbridge
Katy Clark
Don Griffith
Jennie Formby
Owen Green
Phil Roberts
Moira Houghton
Ellis Stacey
Austin Samson
Tobias Farlan
Shaun Williams
Ben Rogan
Pat Machin
John Wadsworth
Stephen Neale
Chris McQuiggin
Karl Robins
Jane Simpson
Danny Thomas
Siobhan Mooney
Joe Baxter
elizabeth REED
david nunn
Nerina Onion
Dave Ball
Josh Porter
Kevin Byers
John McKendrick
Claudia Roland
Anthony Binder
Sue Smith
matt charlton
Fiona Lawrence
Evelyn Mooney
Paul Mather
Ronnie Draper
Christopher Roscoe
Tony Dowling
Ian Hodson
Rigil Kent
Padiham Lancs
Michael and Eve Pritchard
Chris Mears
Liam McShane
Jonathan Maher
Steve Walker
Dorothy Ann Moore
Ron Mackie
Rachel Gordon-Smith
Sue & Peter Brock
John Webber
Robert Moore
David Simon Banbery
Sarandip Singh Batt AiDA
Kirsty Laws
Neil Holden
James Connell
Martin Fisher
James West
Maev McDaid
Sarah Krys
Ian Gilbert
Yvonne Parmenter
Sara Fitzgerald
Deb Hall
Charley Stone
Peter Greeves
Andrew Fisher
Will Rhodes
Rachel Hardy
Neil Young
Lindsay Rutland
Lynton North
Graham Burnby-Crouch
Mr Lynn Davies
James Heath
Jennifer Doveton
Neil McKenna
Janet Mobbs
Daniel Nichols
Colin Finch
Mary Stuart
David Evans
Paul Rutland
Dave Shaw
Christopher Larkin
Tom Walker
Paula Gouldbourn
John Sweeney
Lesley Doveton
Stephen Calder
Beth Aze
Paul Stygal
Paul McCrystal
Mick Tosh
Chris Carree
Alan Smith
Sheryl Odlum
Anya-Nicola Darr
Deborah King
Paul Flynn
Simon Hartley
Steve Budden
Nick James
Lee Moon
Don Urquhart
Trevor Langworth
Amy Williams
Louise Gibbard
Carolina Preo
Rob Morgan
Sandra Easton-Lawrence
Tony Martin
Julie Matthews
Rod Dixon
Suzy Fanklin
Danny Aldington
Andy Boylan
Ann Cattrall
Eileen Short
Robin Hanford
Alex McFadden
Paul Mackney
Paul Donovan
Stephen Cawkwell
Steve Gillan
Peter Tatchell
Christine Cooper
Mike Phipps
JUDITH ATKINSON
derek wall
Greg Philo
LIZZIE WOODS
Prem Sikka
ZITA HOLBOURNE
Gall Gregor
Sarah Evans
Hilda Palmer
Gordon Nardell
Rachael Payne
Andrew Fisher
Kathy Allen.
Lynn Evans
John Diamond
Linda Wright
Meg Taylor
Murad Banaji
Danny Speight
Jeremy Hawthorn
Anthea Hardy
Anne Barry
Dave Hookes
Derek Kotz
Bernard Weston
Anton van der Merwe
Jeremy Corbyn
Friday 25 May 2012
Friday 18 May 2012
The Radical Alternative to Austerity
Cameron and Osborne have repeated again throughout this week that there is no alternative to their failing austerity programme.
I feel that there needs to be a clear statement from the Left that there is an alternative to austerity and it goes beyond just cutting less deep and less fast.
I have set out below a brief statement of what that alternative could contain.
It is not meant as a definitive statement but at least a broad depiction of what a radical alternative would comprise.
I am asking people to consider putting their name to it so that we can continue to circulate it to the movement.
Please let me know if you are willing to put your name to the statement by emailing me on mcdonnellj@parliament.uk.
You can help greatly by circulating the statement as well and putting it up on your website or blog or tweeting it.
Thanks
John
The Radical Alternative to Austerity.
The austerity programme of the Coalition government is not just failing; it is prolonging and deepening the recession. Cuts in investment in public services, in jobs, wages, pensions and benefits are creating mass unemployment and mounting hardship.
Austerity is creating a spiral of economic decline as cuts produce high levels of unemployment which in turn reduces tax income and prompts another round of cuts and job losses.
The Government’s austerity measures are also unfair as the only people the Government seems intent on protecting from the recession are the rich.
There is an alternative to austerity.
There is no lack of wealth and resources in our country that we can draw upon to tackle this recession. The problem is that this wealth and these resources are held in the hands of too few people and are not being used productively to create the growth and jobs we need.
If we can release these resources, we can overcome the current recession and start to build a prosperous future for our country, linking with others across Europe and the United States to overcome this global economic gridlock.
Releasing the resources within our own country is not difficult.
It simply requires the introduction of a limited range of redistributive measures which will raise the funds we need from those most able to pay and who have profited most out of the boom years.
This redistribution can be achieved through;
a wealth tax on the richest 10%,
a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions,
a Land Value tax,
the restoration of progressive income tax of 60% on incomes above £100,000
and a clamp down on the tax evasion and avoidance that is costing us £95 billion a year.
Investing the resources released can halt the spiral of decline.
With unemployment rising month by month we urgently need to get people back to work and earning a decent living.
We can do this by investing the resources we have released through taxation in modernising our economy, its infrastructure and our public services to meet the needs of our community.
Instead of cutting and privatising our health, education and local services, this means:
Investing in a mass public housing building and renovation programme, in universal childcare, in the modernisation of our public services, in the NHS, in creating a national Caring Service, in our schools and colleges, in our transport infrastructure and in the extension of broadband.
Investing in alternative energy, combined heat and power and insulation to both tackle climate change and create one million climate change jobs.
Establishing a national investment bank with the resources levied from the banks so that there is no shortage of funds to lend for manufacturing growth and research and development.
To be successful the recovery programme has to be fair.
We will need the support of a significant majority of our people if we are to drive through this type of radical regeneration and redistribution programme.
To gain this level of support means the Radical Alternative must be seen to be fair. This means addressing many of the inequalities of our current system.
For those at the top it means ending the bonuses and limiting high salaries to no more than 20 times the lowest paid in any company or organisation.
For all others it means replacing the minimum wage with a living wage and a living pension and living welfare benefits, reducing the working week to 35 hours, closing the gender pay gap, controlling rents and energy prices, and restoring rights at work.
For young people it means a guaranteed job, apprenticeship, training or college place for every young person with the burden of fees abolished.
There is no shortage of resources to implement this programme of reform.
The problem is the distribution of these resources.
The Radical Alternative simply releases the resources we have to regain control of our economy and invest in our future.
Never again can we let them say that there is no alternative.
I feel that there needs to be a clear statement from the Left that there is an alternative to austerity and it goes beyond just cutting less deep and less fast.
I have set out below a brief statement of what that alternative could contain.
It is not meant as a definitive statement but at least a broad depiction of what a radical alternative would comprise.
I am asking people to consider putting their name to it so that we can continue to circulate it to the movement.
Please let me know if you are willing to put your name to the statement by emailing me on mcdonnellj@parliament.uk.
You can help greatly by circulating the statement as well and putting it up on your website or blog or tweeting it.
Thanks
John
The Radical Alternative to Austerity.
The austerity programme of the Coalition government is not just failing; it is prolonging and deepening the recession. Cuts in investment in public services, in jobs, wages, pensions and benefits are creating mass unemployment and mounting hardship.
Austerity is creating a spiral of economic decline as cuts produce high levels of unemployment which in turn reduces tax income and prompts another round of cuts and job losses.
The Government’s austerity measures are also unfair as the only people the Government seems intent on protecting from the recession are the rich.
There is an alternative to austerity.
There is no lack of wealth and resources in our country that we can draw upon to tackle this recession. The problem is that this wealth and these resources are held in the hands of too few people and are not being used productively to create the growth and jobs we need.
If we can release these resources, we can overcome the current recession and start to build a prosperous future for our country, linking with others across Europe and the United States to overcome this global economic gridlock.
Releasing the resources within our own country is not difficult.
It simply requires the introduction of a limited range of redistributive measures which will raise the funds we need from those most able to pay and who have profited most out of the boom years.
This redistribution can be achieved through;
a wealth tax on the richest 10%,
a Robin Hood tax on financial transactions,
a Land Value tax,
the restoration of progressive income tax of 60% on incomes above £100,000
and a clamp down on the tax evasion and avoidance that is costing us £95 billion a year.
Investing the resources released can halt the spiral of decline.
With unemployment rising month by month we urgently need to get people back to work and earning a decent living.
We can do this by investing the resources we have released through taxation in modernising our economy, its infrastructure and our public services to meet the needs of our community.
Instead of cutting and privatising our health, education and local services, this means:
Investing in a mass public housing building and renovation programme, in universal childcare, in the modernisation of our public services, in the NHS, in creating a national Caring Service, in our schools and colleges, in our transport infrastructure and in the extension of broadband.
Investing in alternative energy, combined heat and power and insulation to both tackle climate change and create one million climate change jobs.
Establishing a national investment bank with the resources levied from the banks so that there is no shortage of funds to lend for manufacturing growth and research and development.
To be successful the recovery programme has to be fair.
We will need the support of a significant majority of our people if we are to drive through this type of radical regeneration and redistribution programme.
To gain this level of support means the Radical Alternative must be seen to be fair. This means addressing many of the inequalities of our current system.
For those at the top it means ending the bonuses and limiting high salaries to no more than 20 times the lowest paid in any company or organisation.
For all others it means replacing the minimum wage with a living wage and a living pension and living welfare benefits, reducing the working week to 35 hours, closing the gender pay gap, controlling rents and energy prices, and restoring rights at work.
For young people it means a guaranteed job, apprenticeship, training or college place for every young person with the burden of fees abolished.
There is no shortage of resources to implement this programme of reform.
The problem is the distribution of these resources.
The Radical Alternative simply releases the resources we have to regain control of our economy and invest in our future.
Never again can we let them say that there is no alternative.
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