High Peak residents join London march for fairer taxes

Members of High Peak Green New Deal were recently in London to take part in a major demonstration calling for billionaires and big polluters to pay their fair share. 

Thousands of climate and social justice campaigners marched from the BBC to Whitehall, demanding the Government introduce a Wealth Tax on multi-millionaires and billionaires. The march also called for polluting companies to be held accountable for the environmental damage they cause, and for action to support workers and families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. 

At the rally, powerful speeches highlighted growing inequality, attacks on migrants, and cuts to support for disabled people. Speakers included Green Party Leader Zack Polanski and Friends of the Earth Director Asad Rehman, who both stressed that "there is plenty of money in this country - it's just in the wrong hands." 

To underline the scale of inequality, campaigners pointed out that in 1990, the UK had just 15 billionaires. Today, there are 177 - and between 2020 and 2022 alone, their wealth increased by a staggering £160 billion. Meanwhile, more people than ever are relying on food banks, and the NHS and other public services continue to face severe cuts. 

Karen Smith, who travelled from Glossop to join the protest, said: “This level of inequality is immoral and unsustainable. It is time for our Government to tax the super-rich, and the big corporations and use the funds to tackle both the cost-of-living crisis and the climate and biodiversity crises." 

High Peak Green New Deal is a local group campaigning across the High Peak for sustainable transport, low-energy homes and a just transition to a zero-carbon society. Working from a climate justice perspective, the group also supports Global Justice Now campaigns, which challenge the root causes of climate breakdown - particularly the rules of the global economy and the power held by multinational corporations. 

To find out more or get involved, email Linda Walker at: highpeakgreennewdeal@gmail.com