Press watch: ‘Robin Hood tax’

‘A €200bn (£172bn) a year financial transactions tax should be levied on banks to discourage speculative trading, according to European lawmakers who voted on Tuesday to support the introduction of the so-called Robin Hood tax. Campaigners for the tax – who describe it as a "tiny tax that could make a big difference" – urged the UK Chancellor to endorse the vote, which was passed by 529 to 127 in a vote in the European parliament. The vote, however, is non-binding.’
The Guardian, 8 March

‘Britain's banks have been threatened with a damaging Tobin tax on financial transactions after the European Parliament voted through a report advocating the move … Support for the tax has been gathering momentum in Brussels in recent months after initially being rejected as unworkable by the International Monetary Fund unless it secured global agreement.’
Daily Telegraph, 8 March