Money talks: Marian McNichol on a Settle workshop

‘Its not easy to talk about money but we can’t afford not to.’

It’s not easy to talk about money but we can’t afford not to.

Earlier this month, Quakers in Settle in North Yorkshire helped organise a workshop focused on this subject, with partners in our local ‘justice and peace’ group. We were inspired by the resources from the Just Money Movement (https://justmoney.org.uk), and had the help of Lyndsay Burtonshaw from the Faith in Action team at Britain Yearly Meeting.

What we do with money, how wealth is shared (including through our tax and benefits system) and how money is used by investors, banks and companies, determines the world we live in. In considering an event, we were thinking of the general election next year, and wanted to help people prepare for it by thinking about money issues.

Political parties are drafting their manifestos, and in doing so are second guessing what people want to happen. The workshop offered a café-style event where people chose which money issue to focus on. Topics included: investments and pensions; wealth and inheritance taxes; universal basic income and the four-day week; local energy production; and housing.

Attendees were asked to respond to two question. First ‘What do we want to be demanding of politicians in an election year?’. This included key lobbying points for hustings. Secondly, ‘What can we make happen ourselves? How can we build the community and way of living right, that we want?’.

There was information on a local community energy project, which is trying to make sure poorer people don’t miss out on chances to reduce energy bills. We considered green energy, mutual aid, alternative economic systems, inheritance tax and wealth taxes, and how these might impact inequality. We also looked at housing inequalities, pensions and investments.

It was an ambitious project, but feedback was very positive. People felt engaged and informed. Most of our participants were older people, many owning their own home and likely to be least affected by the current cost-of-living crisis. But older people are voters too, and voices for a more equal distribution of wealth need amplifying in the run up to the election.

We are hoping the Just Money Movement might help more people argue for a wealth tax, or understand better how inherited wealth creates more inequality. Quakers are already signatories of the Church Action for Tax Justice;  we hope this workshop helps us make it real – to be clear about what we want to be demanding of politicians in an election year, about what we can make happen ourselves, about how we can build community, and about finding the way of living right that we Quakers want.

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