Church Action for Tax Justice spoke last week of its dismay that the Economic Crime Bill has quietly been dropped from the schedule for the next parliamentary session. At the same time, Lord Agnew, a minister in the Treasury and Cabinet Office, resigned in protest at the failure to deal with alarming levels of allegedly fraudulent Covid business support loans. He described the deferral of the Economic Crime Bill as “foolish”.
Earlier this week politicians called on Boris Johnson to revive the Economic Crime Bill to “plug the gaps” posed by dirty money in London. The bill was expected to bring forward measures to improve almost non-existent oversight of the UK’s business register, Companies House, and bring in a public register of beneficial ownership of property, revealing individuals behind offshore companies used to hold valuable UK homes and land. Tougher laws on fraud were also expected.
Church Action for Tax Justice, which lobbies for a fairer and greener tax system, suggested that at a time when public trust in our leaders is strained, there is much to be said “for those in power leading both by the example of their personal conduct, and, crucially, by the rules they create and by which our society and economy is governed.”
On 25 January, Sarah Edwards, executive director of the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility, wrote in a blog: “For Christians to remain relevant in today’s complex and polarised world, we need to be able to confidently share what difference Christian thinking makes to issues of money, poverty and economics, so that we can see a more just and sustainable society for everyone.” She pointed to scriptural texts which highlight such issues as economic exploitation and fairer taxes and called for more conversations in the media, in parliament, and in communities across the land about money, finance and taxes, and how they can be used for good.
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