Voters in Los Angeles will be the first in the United States to choose whether to set up their city’s own public bank to serve the people instead of private interests. LA’s charter currently prohibits the creation of industrial or commercial enterprises by the city without voter approval. The City Council voted on June 29th to put a measure on […]
A notable omission from Localise West Midlands’ extensive range of articles about, or with references to localism, is a review of a book by Simon Jenkins: Big Bang Localism: a rescue plan for British democracy. In this book he attributes the decline in British voter interest and participation to the over-centralisation of power in Whitehall, ‘one of the most centralised governments in […]
In March LWM’s co-ordinator reported the local interest in the potential of a Birmingham Pound – the Birmingham Mail following up one tweet about a first-stage meeting of a few potentially interested people. News of an increasingly well-developed scheme in Bristol gives an insight into the role of a local currency. The Financial Times reported recently that the “Bristol pound” […]
The Fair Tax Mark is being adopted by UK business setting a new standard in responsible tax practice – from the smallest shop to the biggest multinational. It is the label for good taxpayers – companies and organisations that are proud to pay their fair share of tax. The Fair Tax Mark is an assurance that a company is open […]
In the French election, left wing socialist Jean-Luc Melenchon has stressed the need to relocalise Europe’s economy and to do so by limiting imports. This has brought Melenchon increased votes in a country where 70% of the population favour some form of protection for domestic production from cheaper, lower waged competitors. This French election trend prompts a call for […]
Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex Business School sends the news that the Twitter age is about to chalk up its first success in the grey world of corporate accounting. In an article in The Conversation, he records that – for the first time – activists have demanded and secured a standard against the wishes of the […]
Some Localise West Midlands members who have a particular interest in economic and political devolution, will welcome the call of a district councillor (also green economist and professor at Roehampton University), for more decision-making powers to be devolved to regional level. Cllr Scott Cato, who represents Stroud’s Valley ward and has been selected as the lead candidate for the Greens […]
Richard Murphy (Tax Justice Network), Gordon Kerr (Cobden Partners) & Robin Smith (Systemic Fiscal Reform) discuss monetary systems and tax with members from the Occupy London working economics group David Dewhurst, Peter Dombi and Naomi Colvin, members of the economics working group at Occupy London write in the Financial Times: The world faces an economic crisis and problems in our […]