Vote for global justice
** Thank you to everyone who took action in the run up to the general election to get global justice onto the election agenda. See all the post-election news and updates.**
The upcoming general election is a great opportunity to raise global justice issues to potential MPs. Political parties are desperate to win votes and they need to know that their response to global poverty and injustice will be vital for getting elected.
Whoever makes up the next government, will have a key part in leading the world towards policies that deliver justice for the world’s poor.
Take action and let your parliamentary candidates know that they will lose your vote unless they commit to real action on global poverty.
Find out where the main political parties stand on key global justice issues.
Ask WDM's key election questions.
Donate to our appeal.
Key election questions
Use the following questions to help you engage with your candidates on key global justice issues. These are based on WDM campaigns and you can use these questions whenever you are in contact with a candidate, whether you are writing a letter, at a meeting or at a hustings event.
Cleaning up the banks
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is 84 per cent publicly owned yet it continues to invest in projects that exacerbate poverty and damage the environment. If elected, will you ensure that RBS phases out its destructive investments and instead becomes a ‘Royal Bank of Sustainability’ to finance low carbon projects?
Climate debt
Over two thirds of the UK’s money for tackling climate change in developing countries is in the form of loans which will increase unjust financial debts. If elected, will you ensure that UK climate change money is given as grants not loans?
Financial transaction tax
A financial transaction tax would limit the worst excesses of the financial system, whilst raising money for aid and tackling climate change. If elected, will you ensure that Britain actively pursues an international tax on financial transactions at the G20?
Vote Global manifesto
Vote Global (pdf format) is a development manifesto that WDM and over 100 other development organisations have signed up to. It sets out the key political commitments that are necessary for the UK to play a leading role in tackling global poverty and injustice.
The manifesto covers five areas:
1. More and better aid and debt relief
2. Tackling climate change
3. Making the global economy work for the poor
4. Good governance and addressing corruption
5. Responding to conflict situations
WDM is specifically calling on parliamentary candidates in the upcoming election to take action on climate debt, cleaning up dirty investments by bailed-out banks and the financial transaction tax.
Parties' policies in the 2010 general election
This report is a guide to the policies of UK political parties ahead of the UK general election to be held on 6 May 2010. It seeks to give a guide to the policies of Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Scottish National Party (SNP) and Plaid Cymru in key areas relating to international justice: trade justice; more and better aid; making the economy work for poor people and repaying our climate debt.