4th June, 2024
Over 20 prominent Christian leaders including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, current Bishops of Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Stepney, Carlisle and Barking as well as several charity leaders, academics and theologians have signed an open letter to the leaders of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties urging them to ‘seek the welfare of the nation’ through fairer taxation.
The letter, authored by the JustMoney Movement, urges the leaders, if elected to form a Government in the upcoming General Election to:
- Help shift the narrative on tax, so it is seen as a blessing and not a burden, a vital tool for shaping a better society.
- Work towards reforming the tax system so everyone contributes a fair share.
The letter states that ‘the tax system as it currently stands is unfair’ often enabling the wealthiest in society to avoid paying the taxes they owe through the use of tax havens, passing on assets through family trusts, or using various exemptions built into the system, whilst the poorest contribute disproportionately to society.
It’s more important than ever to talk about tax. Taxes are part of everyday life: they are a tool of government in seeking a society where everyone can flourish. A fairer tax system could address inequality and raise revenue towards strengthening our public services and tackling the breakdown in our climate and nature. That’s why we are calling for fairer taxes – to get us closer to the kind of just, compassionate society we see in the biblical Jubilee and in Jesus’s kingdom values.Sarah Edwards, Executive Director of the JustMoney Movement
It’s time to challenge the narrative about taxation as some sort of irrational imposition by a distant and greedy government and connect it again with our basic responsibility for one another in society. But this can’t happen unless people trust the system to be both fair and effective. What we are seeking is a grown-up discussion of all this – not uncritical, but not unrealistic or resentful, grounded in the biblical vision of our call to serve and protect one another as the foundation of a durable and dependable social order.Rt Revd Dr Rowan Williams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury
Signatories include:
- Sarah Edwards, Executive Director, JustMoney Movement
- The Rt Reverend Dr Rowan Williams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury
- The Rt Reverend David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
- The Rt Reverend John Perumbalath, Bishop of Liverpool
- The Rt Revd Nicholas Baines, Bishop of Leeds
- The Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford
- The Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell, Bishop of Stepney
- The Rt Revd Lynne Cullens, Bishop of Barking
- The Rt Rev Rob Saner Haigh, Acting Bishop of Carlisle
- Hannah Rich, Director, Christians on the Left
- Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England
- Revd Helen Cameron, Moderator of The Free Churches Group
- The Revd. Dr Duncan Dormor, General Secretary, USPG
- Holly-Anna Petersen, Director, Christian Climate Action
- Colin Date, Acting Chair, Christian Concern for One World
- Revd Dr Darrell Hannah, Chair, Operation Noah
- Deborah Tomkins, Chair, Green Christian
- The Very Revd David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury
- Revd Jeff Williams, President, Union of Welsh Independents
- Paul Southgate, Chair, The Northumbria Industrial Mission
- Dr Selina Stone, Durham University and JustMoney Movement Patron
- Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden, Cranmer Hall, Durham
- Gareth McNab, Director of External Affairs, Christians Against Poverty
- Rt Revd Laurie Green
- The Rt Rev Dr Tim Ellis, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Sheffield
- Canon Giles Goddard, Chair, Faith for the Climate
