Despite the Bank of England base rate increasing to 4.25%, most savings accounts have an interest rate of less than 1%. As most of the country struggles with the current cost of living crisis, banks should be sharing their profits with their loyal customers, instead of pocketing all the profits for themselves. But here's the thing - this issue is in the news right now, and banks have been put under the spotlight. MPs recently questioned them in Westminster, and now the FCA - the body who regulates banks - have said they'll consider intervening if the issue continues. So banks will be feeling the heat - but we need to ramp up the pressure. How? Well right now the voice of the public - their customers - is missing. A huge petition, signed by tens of thousands of us, could be the first step in sending a strong message to banks that we will not stand for this unfair practice. Together, we can turn up the heat and make sure banks prioritise customers over their own profits.

Ordinary people are struggling across the board with the huge hikes in living costs, on top of frozen wages & incomes. Many are struggling to survive. Meanwhile the deep divide between the have and have not’s grows ever wider. How do those profiteering in these difficult times sleep at night.

The LSE has researched that "non-domiciled residents in the UK (‘non-doms’) receive at least £10.9 billion in offshore income and capital gains each year, which they are not required to report to HMRC or pay tax on in the UK. Taxing this income would raise more than £3.2 billion in additional tax revenue each year and also remove the current disincentive to invest in the UK." The magic money might not exist but there is income that should be taxed and can help the crumbling public services in the UK.

The Government should be focusing on providing support for ordinary people around the country - not city bankers. Millions of people up and down the country are struggling to make ends meet. As energy, food and fuel prices continue to go through the roof, many of us will be forced to make the impossible choice between heating and eating this winter. This is the wrong policy at the wrong time. Why should city bankers be first in line for help when millions of people around the country don’t know how they’ll keep the lights on over the coming months? These caps on bonuses were introduced to provide a more balanced economy - and to get away from a culture of bankers taking “excessive risks”. If Liz Truss believes in ‘levelling up’ the whole of Britain, then she should prioritise places outside of the City of London and put ordinary people at the front of the queue for support.

Our energy bills are being capped to an average of £2,500 a year. But the Government is planning to loan energy suppliers, like British Gas, EDF and E.ON, tens of billions to keep their prices down. Instead of making energy giants like BP and Shell cover the cost by taxing the enormous profits they’ve been making, we’ll still all be paying for it via taxes or artificially inflated energy bills for years to come. We need the Government to tax their enormous profits to fund proper support so everyone is warm this winter, and it is energy giants rather ordinary working people like nurses, teachers and those already struggling with the cost of living who foot the bill.

Our hospitality sector has faced unprecedented challenges over the past 18 months, yet has supported our communities without question during some of the most difficult times many families have faced. Now we need YOUR help to remain sustainable and to continue to provide vital jobs and community support.

HMRC thinks that the biggest companies in the UK have underpaid their taxes by a massive £36 billion. That’s money that should be spent on schools, hospitals and other public services. It is deeply unfair to see the biggest companies paying less tax at the same time that the government is raising taxes on ordinary workers. The Prime Minister and his government have to stand up and fix the system. This means closing loopholes and investing properly in HMRC so that everyone pays their fair share. The government should finally introduce the stalled plan to shine a light over the offshore owners of UK property.

Nothing angers the British public more than multinationals like Amazon, Google and others paying ultra low levels of tax. The Biden plan is a once in a generation opportunity to put that right. The US president has proposed a new global minimum tax rate for companies to tackle this behaviour. After a year in which many big tech firms have done well, we need to build back better and move beyond our outdated global tax system. The UK could benefit to the tune of £13.5 billion a year. With the UK's corporate tax rate due to go up to 25% in 2023, a 25% global minimum corporate tax rate would help to level the playing field for many British businesses who can’t dodge their taxes.

Never before has our high street been in such a fragile state. Shops and other businesses depend on attracting customers both locally and from afar. They will arrive by different means - on foot, in cars, on public transport, taxis, by bike. Removing easy access by car and taxi removes a percentage of those customers and will effect the town's businesses. Why would the council want more pedestrianised streets when under their own admission they can’t maintain the existing ones?... “Inevitably, this means the beds end up being visually dull and nothing more than a magnet for cigarette butts, empty coffee cups and fast-food takeaway packaging. They look a mess and prompt almost as many complaints as we’ve had about the artificial grass.’’ We believe customers should be able to park close to our town centre shops just like they can at St James’ retail park. Please remove the planters to enable our high street to survive. Thank you for signing.

Recently, it was announced that every adult in Northern Ireland would be eligible for a £100 voucher to spend on the high street. The voucher is being introduced to help retail and hospitality outlets, which have been badly affected by lockdown measures. The voucher cannot be used online. The Northern Ireland Government believes this voucher scheme will have a “multiplier effect which will help bring many more customers back through the doors of local retail, hospitality and other sectors.” A huge petition could persuade Boris Johnson to introduce a £100 voucher scheme in England and give retailers a helping hand when they need it the most.

We the undersigned, traders and residents of Ponders End, Enfield urge Barclays Bank to reconsider their decision to close the Ponders End branch this coming May 2021. We expect Barclays to consider the impact the closure will have on our town leaving it without a bank and their social responsibility towards the community, individuals and businesses who would find it incredibly difficult to conduct their affairs via a post office, on line or by travelling to other branches of Barclays where parking is also a nightmare.

Big supermarkets are one of the few businesses who have done well during the Covid-19 crisis. So why are they receiving millions in government handouts which could be used to support struggling businesses and communities? Back in March, the government introduced a 12-month tax relief for businesses across England and Wales to provide a safety net for those that were facing financial difficulty. Thousands of businesses stepped forward to receive a hand-out, including the UK’s big supermarkets. But retailers like Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Lidl, and Asda have all experienced a boom in sales at a time when they remained open for business while others were forced to close. And they’ve done well: Sainsbury’s recently paid £231 million in dividends to its shareholders. Coincidentally, almost exactly the same amount as their public money bonus. Other businesses have paid back public funds they didn’t end up needing – while supermarkets should never have been eligible for this money in the first place. It’s only right they now do the right thing and hand back the cash to the government. At a time when many people across the country have struggled with getting food on the table and school children have been left hungry, these millions could be used by government to support small businesses and communities, for example funding extra support to families affected by job losses. We need to get our priorities straight as a country – and that includes supporting small businesses and families over handing out huge tax breaks to big corporates like supermarkets. If supermarkets want to live up to the cuddly image they’re cultivating this Christmas, they should hand back the cash. Read more about the issue here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/supermarkets-sweep-up-with-1-9bn-tax-break-nmrn2fjp2 https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/nov/15/supermarkets-should-pay-back-19bn-covid-business-rates-relief-say-mps