Four things that made Fair Tax Week brilliant

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By Graham Drummond
Head of Communications
Email Graham

 

 

 

Wow, what a week!

Whether you joined our many webinars, shared our big announcements or just supported your local Fair Tax Mark business, you helped make Fair Tax Week 2021 one of our best yet.

With companies, councils, organisations and individuals all #CelebratingFair, there was so much to enjoy and highlight.

Here are four things that made the Week brilliant.

We were so happy to see hundreds of people attend our varied range of webinars!  Covering topics such as why corporation tax matters, local areas standing up for fair tax and how tax justice can help the fight against climate change, the webinars were also an opportunity to hear from speakers with so much to share.

Among them were Susan Davy and Chris Harrop OBE of FTSE 250 companies Pennon Group plc and Marshalls plc, Women’s Budget Group Director Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, political economist Richard Murphy, Caroline Lucas MP, Cllr Tristan Chatfield and Steve Parks of Convivio.

Meanwhile, our team spoke at webinars organised for the Week by Social Enterprise Scotland, Church Action for Tax Justice and even a Scottish Parliamentary event.

Fair Tax Week was the perfect time to announce the exciting news that Chelmsford Star Co-operative and Ethical Properties were bolstering their commitment to responsible tax conduct by gaining the Fair Tax Mark.

Our Councils for Fair Tax initiative has had an immensely strong start to the year, and was further lifted by Birmingham City Council coming onboard. With a budget in excess of £3bn, they are the 13th to sign the declaration and commit themselves to leading by example on their own tax conduct while demanding greater transparency from suppliers.

We were also proud to see Marshalls plc and Unity Trust Bank, two businesses that have been with us since the beginning, secure the Fair Tax Mark for the seventh and eighth year respectively. Loads of our Fair Tax businesses used the Week to shout about their accreditation, explaining what it means to them and why they’re proud to have it.

 

Fair Tax Week took place at a historic moment in the tax justice movement, as the leaders of the G7 announced a deal on a global minimum tax rate (though we still need to see whether the G20 will go further). Our CEO Paul appeared on BBC News (twice!), ITV News and was quoted on the front page of the Guardian as news of the agreement rolled out.

Fuelling interest in the Week even further, we unveiled the latest results from our UK public polling. Showing just how much individuals want to see businesses doing the right thing on tax (with two thirds of those surveyed saying they’d rather shop with or work for those who do), they also thought it was important to celebrate those companies (hello Fair Tax Week!).

Your fingers would be aching from all the scrolling if we listed everything others did to highlight and celebrate Fair Tax Week, so here are just a few:

• • Corrinne Carr hosted our Mary and Jaime on a special episode of her podcast, Paying For Good

• • Co-Accounting wrote a piece about why they believe the Fair Tax Mark is the “right thing for business”

• Super supporter Anne Barnes got crafty to celebrate and thank fair tax businesses in Exeter, including Lush, Timpson and Richer Sounds 

So, thank you again for joining us in #CelebratingFair and making Fair Tax Week uplifting, inspiring and positive. Don’t forget to keep an eye on our Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts and make sure you sign up for our newsletter to get all the latest Fair Tax updates. Fair Tax Week will return in 20222 and we hope it’ll be even bigger and better!