campaigning for the right not to pay for war
conscience THE PEACE TAX CAMPAIGN campaigns for the legal right for those with a conscientious objection to war to have the military part of their taxes spent on peacebuilding initiatives.
latest news & views
latest conscience newsletter available
conscience's most recent newsletter is available to download or view online. This newsletter is a little shorter than usual as we have been recruiting and training new staff.
The main article concerns conscience's great new PeacePays.org website - if you haven't yet seen it then take a look now! Have a look at the PeacePays 'taxing' animation too.
Download latest conscience newsletter
"legally and logically unsound" - the Judges' view
The Appeal Court has refused the Peace Tax Seven permission for further appeals to the House of Lords. On 4 May, the court dismissed the application and referred the matter to Strasbourg. The refusal is based on decisions made in Strasbourg around 20 years ago which set a 'coherent and consistent' line of argument, according to the Judges. But in the same breath they state that 'in some respects the reasoning may be legally and logically unsound'.
It would appear that so long as one is 'coherent and consistent' it matters little that the arguments against recognition of conscientious objection to military taxation are 'legally and logically unsound'.
The Peace Tax Seven have now exhausted all possibilities in British courts and the door is now open to bringing a case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
15/5/06
money down the drain - how to pay war tax under protest
Before the judgement from the Appeal Court was available Customs & Revenue were preparing further legal action against Peace Tax Seven members. One of the PT7, Robin Brookes, was prepared to pay some of his withheld military tax under protest - a loud and visible protest.
On 5 May Robin was joined by supporters in Swindon to help deliver his war tax to the tax office in Swindon.
"We caused a stir in the main shopping centre as we walked slowly up the through the town. I carried a mock drain with the notice "Taxes for War - Immoral and Theft from a World in Need - Money Down the Drain". 30 supporters bore placards condemning military spending and suggesting much more useful and needy ways of spending the money.
Two doctors in Liverpool, Lis Davidson and Janet Price will be holding a similar protest in Liverpool on Tuesday 23 May from 12.30 to 1.30pm. Supporters are asked to bring placards and to gather in Derby Square (by Queen Vic) in central Liverpool. From there they will process down to the tax office. For further details or to pledge your support contact Lis and Janet at peacetaxprotest.lpool@yahoo.co.uk
15/5/06
PeacePays.org - a new project by conscience
PeacePays.org is now live! Go straight to PeacePays.org or see the PeacePays animation first.
This new project by conscience demonstrates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of non-violent peacebuilding initiatives. Security options conscientious objectors, and everyone else, can pay tax for with a clear conscience.
latest Peace Tax Seven news - Appeal Court hearing in March
The Peace Tax Seven had their day in the Appeal Court on 1st March -90 years after conscription and the right to conscientious objection was introduced to Britain.
In a crowded court room the PT7 barrister, Mike Fordham of Blackstone Chambers, presented the arguments to the court. He laid out the objections to paying tax for military purposes and presented the compromise solution PT7 would be happy to accept: that the military part of their taxes be directed to a non-military fund for tackling conflict.
Next it was the turn of the Treasury's barrister. He claimed that objection to paying tax for military purposes was not 'sufficiently intimately linked' to the PT7's objection to killing people. Given that the PT7 are taxpayers, that some of their taxes is used by the military, and that the military kill people on a regular basis, it is hard not to see a very intimate link - at least for most of us.
A judgement is not expected for 4 to 6 weeks.
For more details see www.peacetaxseven.com
URGENT - EDM 1658
Conscientious objection from taxes for military purposes
conscience are aiming for as many signatures as possible on this EDM by 2 March - The 90th anniversary of the introduction of conscription and the right to conscientious objection to military service was on 2 March. Please write to ask your MP to sign EDM 1658 and support the right of conscientious objectors not to pay for war.
Go to campaigns to read the full text of EDM 1658. You can also fax/email your MP while you are there.
From 2 March 1916 all unmarried men aged I8-41 were “deemed to have enlisted” in the army under the 1916 Military Service Act - many against their will. Today we are all financially conscripted to pay for the military via our taxes - and many object.
This EDM calls for the establishment of a fund into which conscientious objectors can pay the military part of their taxes. 90 years ago parliament recognised that conscientious objectors cannot fight or kill. After so many years, it is time to recognise that conscientious objectors cannot pay for somebody else to fight or kill.
war tax resister hits the headlines
Doug Barker appeared in Chippenham Magistrates Court on 6 December for his refusal to pay £1,100 of his tax bill - the amount destined for use by the military. He had a good show of support outside the court with more than 20 demonstrators supporting him. Doug was able to make a rousing statement in court to explain why he was withholding tax… so good that he received a round of applause. He also made the front page of the Independent.
new MP support
We are delighted to Welcome Linda Riordan MP as a supporter of conscience. Linda was elected this year as MP for Halifax and is keen to help us campaign against financial military conscription.
Click here to see which other MPs support conscience. We are always looking for more MPs to pledge their support for conscience. If your MP does not yet support us you can help by contacting him/her. Find out what to say and use the online fax your MP facility on the lobbying page. 28/11/05
legal action against war tax resisters
Two war tax resisters are threatened with legal action in December.
Doug Barker will be appearing in Chippenham Magistrates Court (
) on 6 December at
due to his refusal to pay £1,100 of his tax bill - the amount destined for use by the military. He is calling for a show of support outside the Court. Please bring placards and banners.
Lis Davidson in
is expecting a visit from the bailiffs in December. For several years she has withheld the military portion of her taxes but paid up under protest when faced with legal action. She has been charged interest on the withheld amounts by Revenue & Customs but is refusing outright to pay any of the interest charges. Elisabeth’s withheld tax is kept in a charity account earning interest for Amnesty International - “a far more worthwhile way of achieving a safe and peaceful world than this country’s foreign policy, which I am obliged to pay for through taxation”. 28/11/05
sign up for conscience information
Do you want to keep up to date with our work and peace tax related news? All conscience members receive our quarterly newsletter and can sign up to receive email alerts about our work. If you are not yet a member but would like to receive occasional emails about peace tax... click here to subscribe to the conscience_info list
... or why not join conscience today and become a member?
Make POVERTY History
Thank you to all those people who came to visit the conscience stall in The Meadows in Edinburgh on 2 July for the Make Poverty History rally. The rally was one of the biggest the UK has ever seen. Now the onus is on the G8 leaders to make firm commitments to reducing global poverty. Extreme poverty and war go hand in hand. If you object to paying for war and creating poverty then let your MP know.
"In 2003, the UK was the third largest military spender in the world; in 2004, it had risen to second place, giving the lie to many media reports of 'defence cuts'. Last year over £27 billion ($47 billion) of taxpayers’ money was poured into the military and a further £900 million subsidising the UK arms industry. This is roughly equivalent to the additional amount of aid spending worldwide that the World Bank estimates is required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals ($40-70 billion per annum to 2015)."
Download the letter to send to your MP.
Not sure who your MP is? Find out here.
2005 General Election results
25 conscience supporting MPs stood down or lost their seats at the election. We need your help to regain the support in Parliament. Visit campaigns for more details.
Joining conscience doesn't have to be taxing!
It's now even easier to join conscience. You can donate or join online using your credit/debit card or with your PayPal account. Visit our join us page for an easy way to support or join conscience. 4/4/2005
Put on a display!
Get involved by using our new display materials and help raise awareness of the taxes spent on the military. Use the display at events or conferences you attend so others can learn about the issue. The display consists of three sections - peace tax, human rights and non-military security - consisting of five pages each.
Simply download and print the sections from the get involved page.
Make POVERTY History
We are proud to add our support to the Make Poverty History campaign. Poverty is one of the commonest causes of war in the world. Too much of our taxes are spent preparing for war and propping up the arms trade. Addressing the causes of poverty - poor-country debt, unfair trading systems and environmentally harmful practices - can help us reach a stage where war, as well as poverty, become history. Click on the link in the corner of the page to find out how you can help make poverty history.
Shadow Chancellor, Oliver Letwin, supports conscience
We are pleased to confirm that Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Chancellor supports the rights of those with a conscientious objection to war not to contribute to the military with their taxes. He has supported us for several years and is the only Conservative MP to do so. conscience is supported by a large number of MPs from Labour, Lib Dem and Plaid Cymru. See who supports us for more details.
31/1/05
Ministry of Defence waste taxpayers’ money...
An internal MoD report says the ministry is wasting taxpayers’ money - and lots of it. We at conscience are not at all surprised by this news. We are well aware this government, like those before it, wastes vast sums on military hardware and yet we feel more unsafe than ever. This is one of the reasons why we continue to have wars on a regular basis. What is surprising, though, is that over half of the 1,600 MoD and Armed Forces personnel questioned in the study agreed the MoD was wasting taxpayers’ money! (36.6% agreed, 15% strongly agreed)
The Times (12/10/04)
... and gives it to arms dealers
A recent report by three leading NGOs concluded that up to £936 million goes in subsidies to arms companies in the UK. This support is bad for jobs - it diverts investment away from more effective job-creating schemes - and is really bad for those that get killed by the weapons. This is taxpayers’ money going straight into the pockets of arms dealers.
Download 'Escaping the Subsidy Trap' by BASIC, Saferworld and Oxford Research Group(225k)
