Economics

Banking

Cooperative Bank – only UK clearing bank to publish an ethical stance whereby it clearly tells its customers who

Our economic system does not work.It fails to provide the basic necessities of a civilised life and yetit is consuming vast amounts of resources which can never be replaced.We cannot go on like this.

Conventional economic thinking is flawed. Other political parties strive for ‘economic growth’, but what does it mean?It is simply a measure of how much money changes hands, but it cannotshow whether that activity makes things better or worse, or the damageit does to the environment. Nor does it take account of the vastamounts of unpaid ‘work’ on which our society depends.

Our Aims

The Green Party seeks an economic system which recognises the limits of the natural systems of the planet: an economic system which must at the same time support the needs of all people.

The Green Party would:

People on state benefits often find that they are worse off when they take a job – particularly if it’s part-time.This discourages some of them from trying to find work, and can resultin benefit-dependency. Many of those in demanding full-time jobs canresent being little better off than those who they do not see working at all.

These twin problems, caused by our current tax and benefit system, result in the poverty trap.When claimants start earning money, their whole earnings can bededucted from their benefits. It’s as if they are facing a 100% taxrate. When they also take into account things such as the cost oftravelling to and from work many people find that they are actuallyworse off having a job.

Our Aims

The Green Party would address this problem by introducing a Citizen’s Income.This is an unconditional payment made to each individual as a right ofcitizenship – like a tax credit paid to everyone whether they're working or not.

The Green Party would introduce a Citizen’s Income that would: