The Core Cities UK Cabinet urges those forming the new parliament, across all parties, to ensure that devolution to cities and other places remains an absolute priority. Any government serious about economic growth and deficit reduction should immediately enter a dialogue with us.
Our offer is to work with parliament to rebalance, reform and renew Britain. Rebalance and grow the economy to create more jobs and eliminate the deficit; reform public services to improve outcomes and reduce costs through better local coordination of funding and services, focusing on people and place; renew democracy, giving people a major stake in their future.
Report after report has demonstrated that devolved cities do best. With more freedom to invest in infrastructure, skills, trade and innovation, cities across the UK will boost their nation’s economies. This is not the time for hesitation or doubt. It is a time for action and trust. Action, to give people more freedom to decide how taxes raised locally are spent locally. Trust, to let those who know their places best to get on with the job.
The choice for devolution is a choice about what kind of country we want. One that remains among the most centralised in the world, holding back its economic powerhouses, undermining civil society and placing little faith in anyone outside government? Or one that seeks to build a stronger sense of shared endeavour? We choose the latter and urge you to show the shared leadership this country needs to deliver that future.
Councillor Cllr Albert Bore Leader, Birmingham city council
Mayor George Ferguson Leader, Bristol city council
Councillor Phil Bale Leader, Cardiff city council
Councillor Gordon Matheson Leader, Glasgow city council
Councillor Keith Wakefield Leader, Leeds city council
Mayor Joe Anderson Leader, Liverpool city council
Councillor Richard Leese Leader, Manchester city council
Councillor Nick Forbes Leader, Newcastle city council
Councillor Jon Collins Leader, Nottingham city council
Councillor Julie Dore Leader, Sheffield city council
Core Cities UK Cabinet
• We clergy, ministers and religious leaders from diverse faith and belief traditions urge the prime minister to address an ethical challenge which stands above party politics. Paying tax represents the commitment of care and solidarity that each of us makes to one another towards the common good. When spent wisely, tax revenue builds economic infrastructure and delivers vital healthcare, education and social support upon which we all depend – particularly the poorest and most vulnerable. For people of many beliefs and faiths, paying one’s fair share of tax reflects our duty to love our neighbour, as well as values of honesty, equity and reasonableness. Yet, while millions of ordinary people honour their obligations to contribute, billions are lost every year through tax dodging by large and wealthy corporations. The price is paid by everyone who uses public services in the UK. The human cost of tax avoidance is even higher in developing countries, where revenue losses threaten the lives of the world’s poorest children, women and men. The harm of corporate tax dodging knows no national boundaries.
The law urgently needs to change. We welcome the commitments David Cameron has made on this issue but recognise that more needs to be done. We urge him to introduce a tax dodging bill in the first 100 days of the new government, which would start to close loopholes and further protect the interests of people in Britain and in developing countries.
Canon Dr Giles Fraser Priest-in-Charge of the Parish Church of St Mary, Newington
Rabbi Natan Levy Chair of the Jewish Social Action Forum
Sheikh Dr Muhammad Al-Hussaini Senior Fellow in Islamic Studies at the Westminster Institute
The Venerable Alastair Cutting Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich
Pandit Satish Sharma Secretary of the National Council of Hindu Temples
Rabbi Dr Jackie Tabick Convenor of the Movement for Reform Judaism Beit Din
Revd Canon Giles Goddard Vicar of St John’s Church, Waterloo
Michael Vermeulen European affairs team of the European Buddhist Union
Revd Dr James Lawson Vicar of St Michael and All Angels Church, Stoke Newington Common
Acharya Dharm Dutt Vasistha President of the National Council of Hindu Priests UK
Sheikh Professor Mohamed Elsharkawy Chair of the Christian Muslim Council
Revd Dr Kevin Snyman Mission Enabler of the West Midlands Synod, United Reformed Church
Acharya Krishan Kant Attri MBE Senior Hindu chaplain to HM Forces
Rabbi Richard Jacobi Rabbi of Woodford Liberal Synagogue
Revd Graham Sawyer Vicar of St James’ Church, Briercliffe
Mufti Zymer Salihi Imam of Kosova Islamic Centre and Mosque
Pandit Sham Sunder Shastri Priest of Gita Bhavan Hindu Temple, Manchester
Revd Canon Dilly Baker Rector of the Parish Church of St Mary, Stoke Newington
Rabbi Dr Margaret Jacobi Rabbi of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue
Pandit Madhu Shastri Priest of Omkarananda Hindu Mission, Wolverhampton
Revd Prebendary Rosemia Brown Vicar of St James’ Church, Clapton
Rabbi Elizabeth Tikvah Sarah Rabbi of Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Revd Chris Collins Minister and Presbyteral Probationer of Wolverhampton Circuit of the Methodist Church
Mufti Abdur-Rahman Mangera Imam of Masjid E Quba (Cazenove Road Mosque), Stamford Hill
Andrew O’Hanlon Warden of Westminster Quaker Meeting House
Pandit Gyan Dutt Shastri Priest of Hindu Sabha and Shree Krishna Mandir, Wolverhampton
Catherine Hopper European liaison and communications cfficer of the Triratna Buddhist Order
Revd Dr Ewan King Minister of Heath Street Bapist Church, Hampstead
Rabbi Warren Elf Rabbi of Southend and District Reform Synagogue
Revd Roger Cornish Minister of Tavistock United Reformed Church
Sheikh Feisal Ismail Lecturer at Al-Azhar College, London
Pandit Sunil Agnihotri Vice-president of the National Council of Hindu Priests
Revd Laura Jørgensen Rector of St Botolph without Aldgate, City of London
Rabbi Jeffrey Newman Emeritus rabbi of Finchley Reform Synagogue
Revd David Musgrave Minister of Brixton and Streatham Circuit of the Methodist Church
Dai Eusoof Amerat Trustee of Masjid E Quba (Cazenove Road Mosque), Stamford Hill
Thomas Bonneville Member of Muswell Hill Quaker Meeting
Shashtri Shree Krishan Joshi Priest of Shree Radha Krishna Mandir, Manchester
Revd Gethin Rhys Policy officer for Cytûn (Churches Together in Wales)
Rabbi Dr Michael Hilton Rabbi of Kol Chai Hatch End Jewish Community
Revd Ron Smith Methodist Presybter of Castle Methodist Church, Colchester
Imam Ebu Bekir Tezgel Trustee of the Quran Society
Pandit Bal Krishan Gautam Priest of Newcastle Hindu Temple
Revd Eric Massey Minister of Rodborough Tabernacle United Reformed Church, Stroud
Rabbi Charles Wallach Emeritus rabbi of Brighton and Hove Progressive Synagogue
Revd Alison Richards Minister of South West Worcestershire Circuit of the Methodist Church
Dai Sharhabeel Lone Chair of Hampstead Mosque
Balbir Singh Bakhshi Sikh adviser of the Greenwich Peninsula Chaplaincy
Imam Ahmed El Sharkawy Teacher at Acton Mosque
Revd Ian Hamilton Superintendent minister of the Manchester Circuit of the Methodist Church
Pandit Dr Shakti Dhar Priest of Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of Bradford
• The irony of Saturday’s “spontaneous” demonstration, where protesters tried to storm Downing Street, was not lost on police. Here officers were protecting a prime minister – and by default a government – who has shown nothing but contempt for a police service, from anti-austerity activists who also have nothing but contempt for the police service. Officers also noticed that David Cameron, in his speech following his re-election in Witney, failed to observe the tradition of thanking the police. It was therefore no surprise when the prime minister also failed to thank officers for protecting his home on Saturday or express any concern in respect of those injured.
Saturday’s protest clearly illustrates the potential for extremely serious public disorder on the streets of the UK as further austerity measures are imposed; disorder that rank and file officers are not confident they will be able to contain. When this is considered together with the current very real terrorist threat, it is bewildering that this government appears to be determined to further antagonise and deplete an already totally demoralised police service.
Chris Hobbs
(Metropolitan Police 1978 to 2011), London
• Well, at least we can look forward to the Tories spending an extra £8bn a year on the NHS.
Jonathan Yglesias
London
