Quaker staff oppose military tax
Friends write to the Treasury
A group of Britain Yearly Meeting employees has written to the Treasury to conscientiously object to their taxes being used ‘in war, for war, or for the preparation for war’.
They wrote: ‘We believe that real, non-military security comes from building a fairer and more equal world and not from costly and ineffective military interventions abroad. Alternative solutions are both more effective and cost effective.’
The Friends continued: ‘Diplomacy, peacebuilding, conflict resolution and overseas aid are forms of security for which we can pay tax with a clear conscience. We therefore request that the part of our taxes that is currently used for military purposes be diverted to a special fund which is used only for non-military forms of security.’
Among the signatories were Helen Drewery, Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) general secretary; Howard Nurden, head of the children and young people’s team at Quaker Life; and Sam Walton, QPSW peace and disarmament programme manager.
