Author: Maya Segas

A tiny tax on bankers would raise billions to tackle poverty and climate change, at home in the UK and abroad. Maya Segas explains.

The arrows have been primed and now we’re off! The Robin Hood Tax campaign has been launched! This brilliant idea is now on it’s way to become a reality – a teeny tiny tax on some banking transactions that would bolster crucial public services in the UK, save lives and reduce poverty overseas, and help pay the bill for tackling climate change.

There are so many actions you can take via Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube and they only take a few minutes in your tea break to do. Check out www.robinhoodtax.org.uk for more information.

But if you Oxfamers out there have got a few minutes more to spare and you want to take political action, why not tell your MP that you support the campaign? Ask them to tell their party leaders that they should include a global Robin Hood Tax in their manifestos and show UK leadership by implementing its own Robin Hood Tax on the pound.

There’s lots you could do. Here are some suggestions:

1. Find your MP by searching by your postcode.

2. Print off this sample letter or better yet, handwrite something yourself and post your letter to your MP at House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

3. If you’re up for it, visit your MP and tell him/her what you think. You can get more information on the tax here.

4. While you’re at it, why not find out who your prospective parliamentary candidates (PPCs) are and ask them to contact their party leaders as well?

5. Print off the Robin Hood mask, take your picture and email it to your MP or PPCs with your ask.

6. Find your MP or PPCs on Twitter and direct message them with your request.

7. Don’t forget to tell us what they said.

The time is right for this so I’m calling on all you merry (wo)men to take political action now!

I wrote recently about a volunteer opportunity in the Birmingham office for a Political Campaigns Intern.

If you live in the Midlands and would like to get involved with Oxfam’s work during the general election but don’t have the time to give to an office-based internship, please read my colleague Katy’s blog about making your mark on the next general election.

Katy has been collecting names from all over the UK of people who are interested in getting involved with Oxfam during the upcoming general election by becoming community organisers. Please do check out the blog or look at the application information here for opportunities in the Midlands. Or just contact me directly at [email protected].

I’m looking forward to hearing from all of you politically minded people out there in the Midlands that have a passion for overcoming poverty and suffering!

Still peeved about the disappointing outcome at Copenhagen? If so, you should really tell us your ideas about how Oxfam should take forward our climate change campaign.

If you live in South Birmingham, you also have the opportunity to tell a member of the UK Government what you think in person. The Labour Party’s Moseley and Kings Heath Branch are hosting an open meeting for all residents of Moseley and Kings Heath to discuss climate change and sustainability.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, Minister for Energy and Climate Change, will be making a keynote address entitled “What is the way forward after Copenhagen?” Why not go and tell him what you think? He will also be joined by Nick Drew, Esther Boyd of Susmo and Andy Howell, Former Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.

The meeting starts at 7.30pm on Thursday, 11th February 2010 at the Moseley CDT in the Post Office Building on Alcester Road in Moseley, Birmingham.

George Osborne MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

The 2010 general election is set to become the first in the social-networking era. Cast your mind back to 2005. Do you remember Facebook or Twitter? Of course not – they didn’t exist yet!

During the upcoming general election, candidates will continue to stand at the school gates, knock on doors and hit the high streets but this time around they will have even more ways to communicate with us ordinary citizens. Yes, they had websites and email to play with in 2005 but now the online world will play a much bigger role and we will have access to prospective parliamentary candidates in a way we never have before.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been posting opportunities to put questions to politicians via webchats and online forums and now we have yet another opportunity to directly grill an MP.

Next Thursday, 11th February 2010, George Osborne the Conservative Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer will be answering questions on his plans for the economy in a live webcast. The great thing is that these questions will have been submitted and voted for by people like you via a google moderator page. The highest rated questions will get put to Mr Osborne.

We came across a fantastic question by Harriett in Shrewsbury about a suggested financial transaction tax on banks. Sign in and vote on this question now so that we can ensure it is asked of Mr Osborne or feel free to submit your own. The deadline for submissions and voting is Thursday, 11th February at noon.

Let’s continue to take advantage of the access to politicians that the web gives us. If you happen to come across any live webchats or online forums with local or national MPs or prospective parliamentary candidates, let me know by email [email protected] or direct message me via OxfamMidlands on twitter and I can spread the word!

Are you a political geek and proud of it? Do you have a passion for overcoming poverty and suffering? Are you looking for an internship in the Birmingham area for say 2-3 days a week?

Then you should really consider applying for the post of Midlands Political Campaigns Intern in Oxfam’s Campaigns office in Birmingham!

We cover the Midlands area and work with a wide range of influential people and target audiences in the region to promote Oxfam’s campaigns.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic individual who lives in or near Birmingham to assist in our work in the run up to an election and in the early days of a new Parliament.

The Midlands Political Campaigns Intern will be working closely with Oxfam’s Midlands Political Campaigner (that’s me!) to recruit and coordinate local constituency volunteers for the election period, as well as organise local events and assist in political research.

If you’re interested, apply now! The deadline for applications is Friday, 19th February and interviews will be held in Birmingham on Thursday, 25th February 2010.

Mel Allcott, Manager of the Oxfam shop on Mealcheapen Street in Worcester and Mike Foster MP encourage locals to keep donating to the Haiti Appeal.

I met up with Mike Foster, MP for Worcester and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development at the local Oxfam shop on Mealcheapen Street today.

He was there to support the Haiti Appeal, ten days after the devastating earthquake struck one of the world’s poorest nations.

Mel, the manager at the Worcester shop, told me that they have already raised over £2600, which is fantastic news! Of course, there is still so much to do in Haiti and the shop wants locals to keep making donations. They’re aiming to raise at least least £5000. If you can’t make it into your local shop, you can always click here to donate now.

While dealing with the immediate aftermath of the earthquake is Oxfam’s main concern at the moment, we must not let this disaster push Haiti into a black hole of debt in the long term. The IMF has said that they will work to cancel the rest of Haiti’s debt, which would help to lift such an enormous burden in a time of crisis, but we need your help now to make sure that they stick to their guns. Leaders are meeting in Montreal on Monday to decide on the amount of aid that they will give.

Please email the head of the IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn to demand that when leaders meet on Monday, they cancel Haiti’s debts immediately.